


track two ~ guiding light

by twoorangecookies



Series: delta ~ a trimberly soundtrack [2]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Mutual Pining, a bit intense, but give it a chance!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-17 07:33:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17556068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twoorangecookies/pseuds/twoorangecookies
Summary: “Because what?” Trini stepped forward again, not moving her eyes from Kim's. Challenging.“Because something terrible happened,” Kim said steadily. “Something bad. And we all gave up. And some of us gave up more than others. Some of us – no. You. Jason. Zack. You quit altogether. You bailed on me and Billy. We're all hurting, and we all need each other, and I don't get why you have to be so damn stubborn!”





	track two ~ guiding light

**Author's Note:**

> If you've clicked on this fic, I am extremely happy. I hope you enjoy this as it hit me like a freight train and had to be written. I don't even think it's long enough personally, but I can't make it unreadable! So go forth and enjoy.
> 
> This is part of a series of oneshots from Mumford and Sons' album Delta. Track two is Guiding Light. I highly suggest pulling it up on youtube or spotify and pressing play once you finish reading.

_"if we come back and we’re broken_   
_unworthy and ashamed_   
_give us something to believe in_   
_and you know we’ll go your way"_

 

* * *

 

I.

Kimberly Hart stood in the hallway of an old, run down apartment building. The 70's style wallpaper was peeling off the walls and had begun to turn a yellowish-brown color. Numbers were hanging off of doors or missing altogether. The air felt dry, like the whole place needed to be aired out, and Kim was rigid in her discomfort of being there. She tried to keep her eyes forward though, and she had a fist raised in the air to knock on the door before her, but for the last two minutes she hadn't yet knocked. She took another deep breath in and exhaled slowly.

 

She could do this. Talking wasn't her strong suit, no. At least, not with words that made sense. She was a rambler for sure. But _talking_ talking? That was hard for her. It meant going within herself, and she still wasn't a fan of who she saw in there.

 

But _they_ mattered more.

 

Just as she was about to knock the door swung open and dark eyes glared up at her. “Gonna stand out here all day?”

 

Kim looked down at Trini, the first sight of her in months, and something akin to relief, to reassurance, flowed through her. “Trini,” she said in somewhat of a contented tone.

 

“Expecting someone else?” Trini had a hand on her hip and the other bracing the open door. She had yet to crack a smile, but then Kimberly hadn't seen one of those on Trini's lovely lips since...before.

 

“N-no,” she stuttered, shaking her head. “I came to see you.”

 

“Well, ya got me. What's up?”

 

“Can I come in?”

 

“I s’pose.” Trini pushed off the door and took a step back. Kim hesitated before stepping inside and Trini pushed to door shut behind her. Trini turned on her heel and walked into the open living room and sat on a beat-up old couch. “Welcome to my crib,” she said sarcastically.

 

“Trini...” Kim stepped into the room and stood in front of the couch. She didn't much care to look around at the dump her best friend had been living in. (She did care though, because Trini deserved to live some place warm and clean; some place _nice_ .) “I've been worried about you.”

 

“No need to be,” Trini said with a shrug. “I got it all right here. And, I got a job at the pretzel place in the mall. Free stale pretzels at the end of the day. Pretty sweet gig.”

 

“I guess so if it affords you this,” Kimberly snorted. She bit her lips together and stared wide-eyed at Trini. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. “Sorry.”

 

“It's okay. This place is trash.” Trini stretched her legs out across the couch, making herself comfortable.

 

“Why haven't you returned any of my texts or calls?”

 

“I've been busy.”

 

“You've been avoiding me. And Billy.”

 

Kim saw guilt flash over Trini's face at the mention of Billy, but just as fast as it came it was gone. Back to her usual mask of indifference. Kim held back the desire to roll her eyes. She was tired. Tired of trying to fight everyone back to dry land when they just wanted to sink. Or in Trini's case, tread. Kim walked over and picked Trini's feet up so she could sit beside her on the couch. She dropped them in her lap and Trini didn't move them. Kimberly stared at Trini's profile as Trini stared at the darkened television.

 

Had it really only been four months? It felt like so much longer. But four months without Trini, without _her_ Trini, was a lifetime.

 

“Trin,” she said softly. “Please look at me.”

 

“What?” Trini bit, not looking over.

 

“Look at me.”

 

“Why?”

 

“ _Look_ at me,” Kim begged, her hands tight around Trini's ankles. She watched Trini gulp and slowly turn her head. She looked into Trini's eyes and saw darkness. Darker than the golden gaze she was used to. “I need you back,” Kim said gently.

 

“I'm right here.”

 

“No, you're not. This isn't the Trini I know.”

 

“Maybe the Trini you know is gone,” Trini said flatly. “Disappeared when everything else did.”

 

“You're not your powers,” Kim argued.

 

“What the hell am I without them?” Those dark eyes glared at Kimberly. Trini swung her feet to the floor. “Why are you here, Kimberly?”

 

“Because I miss you. Because nothing is right anymore. Because...I think...you're the only one that can get through to Zack.”

 

Again, Kim saw emotion wash over Trini's face, but the other girl tried hard to not let it show. “What makes you think that?”

 

“He won't see me or Billy, and Jason...god, he's...” Kim trailed off. It was hard to describe Jason anymore. Ever since...

 

“Why do you think he'd see me?”

 

“Because you're his Crazy Girl, and because you wouldn't let him say no.”

 

“You're forgetting that I don't care anymore,” Trini replied.

 

“About any of us?” Kim was hurt by the words, despite knowing that Trini didn't mean them deep down. She was hurting. She was lashing out. But the words still burned. She watched Trini drop her head, her elbows rested on her knees, and Trini took a few long breaths.

 

“Not...exactly.”

 

“Then what, exactly?”

 

“Can you just go?”

 

“No.”

 

“Kimberly.”

 

“What happened to calling me Kim?” She asked softly. Memories flashed through her mind, like a reel of a movie, and she remembered all the laughter and fun they'd once had. She remembered seeing Trini's eyes across the morphing grid that first time, and goofing off at Krispy Kreme, and running down the hallway after--

 

“Kim,” Trini said, softer than before. Her eyes were still on the floor. “You're digging up stuff that should just stay buried.”

 

Hurt shone on Kim's face as she stared Trini's profile down. Her mouth moved wordlessly for a moment and her fists clenched, and in the next moment she was on her feet again. “Do you really want to bury it all?” She asked sharply. “Us, the team... _us_ ?”

 

“What team?” Trini looked up finally, a glare set on her face. “We're not a team anymore.”

 

“We're still a family.”

 

“Are we?” Trini barked a laugh.

 

“Don't do that.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Act like you don't care.”

 

“I still don't get why you're here!” Trini shouted, jumping to her feet. And though she was smaller than Kim, in that moment she seemed much bigger. Kim took a step back, but then she rethought herself and stepped forward.

 

“I'm here because I miss you, you idiot!” Kim's face was red in anger. “I'm here because we're all falling apart, and the one person I count on more than anyone else isn't there! I'm here because...because...”

 

“Because _what_ ?” Trini stepped forward again, not moving her eyes from Kim's. Challenging.

 

“Because something terrible happened,” Kim said steadily. “Something bad. And we all gave up. And some of us gave up more than others. Some of us – no. You. Jason. Zack. You quit altogether. You bailed on me and Billy. We're all hurting, and we all need each other, and I don't get why you have to be so damn _stubborn_ !”

 

Kim could see her words affected Trini. Her gaze wavered, her chin lowered. “We're not all as strong as you and Billy,” she finally said, nearly in a whisper.

 

“I'm not strong, Trini. I'm barely keeping it together,” Kim admitted, tiredly.

 

“Doesn't seem that way.”

 

“Well, it's true.” Kim wrapped her arms around herself tightly. “I miss you guys,” she said, letting her loneliness shine through. “I miss _you_ .”

 

“I don't even know who I _am_ anymore,” Trini admitted quietly. “I can't...face the guys like this...I don't wanna face you like this.”

 

“What makes you think you're not still our Trini?”

 

Trini stared past Kimberly's shoulder, her eyes glazed over, maybe with tears, and she swallowed thickly. “I feel different.”

 

“We had our powers for two and a half years, and now they're gone. Of course you feel different.”

 

“It's not just that,” Trini said, shaking her head. She glanced over to meet Kimberly's concerned gaze. “Kim...we fucked up. Because of us, a whole town is gone.”

 

“It wasn't us, it was that monster-”

 

“We couldn't stop him,” Trini said definitively. “It could have been Angel Grove. It almost _was_ Angel Grove.” She turned and started to pick up dirty dishes. “Now, people are dead.”

 

“Zordon said that it's one of the unfortunate things that comes with what we do. Did. What we did.”

 

Trini stalked to the kitchen and dropped the dishes into the sink with such a clatter that they probably should have broken. “You're quoting Zordon now?!” She spun back around and stared at Kimberly, who had followed her, with shock.

 

“Maybe he was right!”

 

“Was he also right that we should have just shrugged it off and moved on?”

 

“He never said that,” Kimberly huffed. “But you know, I am liking all this emotion out of you finally.”

 

“Oh, and what does that mean?” Trini moved closer, her arms crossed, and her eyes set in a glare again. Or maybe still.

 

“Ever since we gave up-”

 

“You were in on that vote,” Trini reminded her with a pointed fingrt. “We said no one left unless we all wanted out.”

Kimberly bristled at that. Sure, at the time she had thought it best, they all had, but time had moved on and her mind had changed. (Or maybe she hadn’t wanted it then. Maybe she only agreed because the others had argued so heartily about it. Maybe she’d been to tired and heartbroken to fight it anymore.) She wasn't going to argue it though.

 

“Ever since we gave up,” she repeated bluntly, “you've been this...echo of yourself, going through the motions. The spark in your eyes went away.” She wasn’t going to tell Trini she could read her eyes as easily as her smile.

 

Trini's shoulders squared and she set her jaw. Her eyes flitted over Kimberly's shoulder again, and Kim just watched her. “I'm sorry to disappoint you.”

 

Kim's arms fell to her sides and she shook her head. “You haven't disappointed me, Trin.”

 

“I'm not acting the way you want me to act, or...mourning the way you want me to mourn...what would you call it?”

 

Kimberly felt her heart lurch at that, and she wanted to grab Trini and either hug her or shake her. She couldn't believe Trini would think that Kim wanted her to be anyone but herself. She wasn't Trini's mother, after all.

 

But maybe she was doing that. Maybe, by not letting Trini come back to her when she was ready, she was doing just that. But how could she be sure Trini ever would come back? Trini ran from things that scared her. Kim learned that from day one. Trini ran and didn't look back unless she was forced to. Wasn't Kim just looking out for Trini?

 

Or was she being selfish like always? She wanted Trini back for herself, for her well being. She wanted Trini back because--

 

“You left me,” Kim finally whispered, her voice filled with heartache.

 

“Kim-”

 

“We were finally...the night before it happened, we were finally...we were getting somewhere. After years of-of...standing on a fucking precipice of...and-and you said...” Kim's words were getting more pained, and her voice more emotional. “You said...'we'll talk about it tomorrow'...and the next day, everything went to _shit_ -” her voice cracked, “-and we didn't talk about it, and you shut down, and _this_ is the most emotion I've seen from you since that night.” Kim wiped the back of her hand over her wet eyes. She didn't stop staring Trini down, even though Trini couldn't bother to look her in the eye.

 

Trini blinked rapidly, and that bobble in her throat kept going. Kim turned away to mop up her face, nearly giving up on Trini, when she heard from behind her, “You cared about the Yellow Ranger,” in a quiet, strained tone. Kim shook her head, a disbelieving smile on her lips, but before she could argue Trini spoke again. “I feel...as lost as I was when we started, and to go from where I was back to that...I wasn't her anymore.”

 

“You fucking idiot,” Kim whispered under her breath. She turned around. “You're a fucking idiot,” she said louder. “Three years, I’ve been in love with you! We had boyfriends and girlfriends and yet nothing, none of it, was the same as when we were around each other. And I know you felt it! What did any of what we had have to do with being Power Rangers?! Other than some fucking horny ass moods after trainings. What, Trini?!”

 

“It's about who I was then,” Trini said carefully, her eyes on the floor. “Who I was with that inside of me.”

 

“Yeah! We were both better people then,” Kimberly agreed. “We felt better, we acted better...but we gave that up! We had one really, really, _really_ bad day, and we gave that up. Are we supposed to be miserable the rest of our lives now? Because, I don't know about you, but I don't want that. I've been there, and I don't want to go back.”

 

Trini lifted her head and met Kimberly's still damp eyes, and their gazes locked for a long time. Trini seemed to be mulling all of Kimberly's words over, in that quiet, broody way that she did, and Kimberly gave her the time to. Kimberly had nothing _but_ time. She had spent six months waiting for her next moment with Trini, for _their_ next moment, and she was tired of it. She was tired of trying to be the better person for the whole group when she wasn't used to being in that position period. She was simply _tired_. And while laying on Billy's bed while he took the floor, and being close to him when he was the only one that would let her was nice -- it wasn't what she wanted most. What she wanted most was Trini -- her Yellow Ranger no matter what, and her hero in every sense of the word.

 

“You're my hero, Trini Gomez,” Trini finally murmured.

 

“What?” Kim's brows wrinkled.

 

“That's what you said to me that night. Before we kissed. I was telling you how scared I was for the incoming fight, and you said-”

 

“You're my hero, Trini Gomez,” Kimberly repeated. “And you looked at me like...like you didn't think anyone could possibly mean it. You were so beautiful, with just the moon and stars lighting up my room...and my heart-” Kim let out a nervous laugh. “It was racing like the Grand Prix. And I thought, this could be it, Hart. Kiss her.”

 

“And when you did...I...” Trini turned and put her hands to the counter.

 

Kim bit her lip and took a step forward. “Trin...”

 

“I'm not her anymore.”

 

“You are to me,” Kimberly pleaded. “You're still my hero. You always will be.”

 

“Every time I look at you, I remember it all. The destruction, the fires...feeling...empty.”

 

“That's why I came here,” Kimberly said. “Not to...to win you over, but to give you purpose again.”

 

“What _purpose_ is there now?”

 

“Zack doesn't leave his trailer. He's miserable. He thinks being alone is what's best for him, and we all know he needs people that love him to be around him. And Jason...without his powers, his leg is blown again. His dad fired him, he drinks, and he thinks all of it his his fault alone. He yelled at Billy the last time Billy tried to go see him. And you...you stopped caring. At least, you act that way.”

 

“What if I really don't care?”

 

“Did you really hear me say all of that and feel nothing?”

 

“...of course not.”

 

“Then will you come back to Angel Grove with me and try to help the guys? We can...put 'us' on the shelf for now. I won't bring it up.”

 

Trini turned around, some color beginning to return to her cheeks. “Really?”

 

“Really,” Kim promised.

 

“Okay. I'll do it. I'll....go back with you. But I won't promise anything will happen.”

 

“We have to try,” Kim said with a shrug. “They're family.”

 

“How about you promise none of that cheesy bullshit, too?” Trini rolled her eyes.

 

“Can't promise that. I'm the de facto parent of the group now.”

 

“God,” Trini sighed. “We should have really planned our mental breakdowns better than this.”

  


II.

 

_“Trini, don't do this. Don't leave us.”_

 

_Trini couldn't look Kim in the eyes. Hadn't been able to in a long time. Nothing had been right in a long time. She slung her backpack over her shoulder while she stared at her feet. “I gotta go,” she mumbled. She couldn't tell her that seeing her was tearing Trini up worse inside. She remembered what happened that night, what they hadn't talked about, and she didn't want to talk about it then. She wanted to forget it. That girl that she had been, that girl that had finally gotten what she wanted and kissed Kimberly Hart, that girl was gone. In her place was someone Trini didn't want to give to Kimberly._

 

_“What about...everything?” Kim asked softly, the sound of her voice pained._

 

_“Everything will be just fine without me,” Trini said firmly. “Besides, I'm only gonna be a town away. I'm not peacin' out for good or anything.” She brought her gaze up to briefly find Kim's, and the girl stared back at her with broken brown eyes. “Keep me in the loop, yeah?”_

 

_“Yeah,” Kim nodded._

 

_Trini wanted to say more, to do more, but she wouldn't let herself. “I'll see ya soon, Princess.” She smiled softly at the girl who still had her heart, and she turned away to get into her car. As she drove away she looked through her rear-view mirror, and she saw Kimberly standing in the road watching her go. That's when the tears started. Just like usual as of late. When she was alone. And god, was she alone then._

 

“Trini?”

 

“Hm?” Trini turned from gazing out of the passenger side window, watching the lights in the darkness, and instead watched how those lights and shadows bounced off of Kimberly's face. She hadn't seen Kim in person in four months, and she hadn't forgotten how beautiful the girl was, but she was struck by it all over again.

 

“I asked if you're up for seeing Billy when we get there. I think he'd really like to see you.”

 

Trini smiled at the thought of their blue boy, and she felt the ache in her heart of how much she missed him. (How much she missed all of them.) “Yeah, that's cool,” she responded. The smile stayed on her lips as she turned back to her window. Smiles weren't very common for her anymore. Not real ones anyway. “What's he been up to?” She asked, a little surprised at herself for continuing the conversation. A part of her wanted to listen to Kim talk for awhile.

 

“The usual,” Kim replied. “He's back in school. It takes a lot of his time, but he's loving it. He moved back in with Candace. It's nice though, because I go over there a lot for dinner, and you know she can cook.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Trini chuckled. “I can't forget her cooking.”

 

“He has good days...and not so good days. I try to help on the bad days, but sometimes he doesn't want to see me. I guess I just...remind him of...everything.” Kimberly's voice went soft and sad, and it burned through Trini.

 

“I get that,” she said. She watched her breath fog up the window and traced a lightning bolt in it before wiping it away. “What about you? School?”

 

“No. It still feels...pointless, I guess. I have no idea what I want to do anymore, you know? I never really did in high school, but then we became Rangers and I had a future...”

 

“You still have a future, you just don't know what it is yet.” Trini felt the words dry her mouth out. She had no idea what her own future was, and some days she didn't see the point in striving for one. Not when everything was so easily broken.

 

“It's hard, you know? Going from...being so sure of everything to-”

 

“Not knowing which way is up,” Trini finished quietly.

 

“Yeah.” Kimberly's word hung in the air as silence resumed between them.

 

Trini didn't know what else to say to that, and frankly it was starting to get uncomfortable. She wasn't ready to talk about a lot of things, but somehow Kimberly always managed to get inside of her and bring it out. Maybe because Kimberly was a part of her. The others were too, of course, but Kimberly was in her own special way. A way that Trini had cherished not too long ago.

 

They didn't speak any more until they reached the exit for Angel Grove, and just taking that turn spiked Trini's anxiety up. She wrapped her fingers tightly around her seat belt and watched her town begin to go by. She wasn't born and raised in Angel Grove, like the others, but it was still her town, too. She spent three years fighting for it, and as hard as it was to be back -- it was home.

 

They passed the Melody Mobile Home Park, and Trini closed her eyes. She tried to feel Zack, but couldn't. Then she remembered she didn't have her powers anymore. Her stomach dropped out. “I tried to text him,” she whispered.

 

“What?”

 

“I tried to text Zack a couple of times,” she said louder. “He never replied. I figured he just didn't want to talk to me.”

 

“It isn't you,” Kimberly assured her. “He won't talk to any of us. Billy and I have tried going to his trailer and making him see us, but he just slams the door in our faces. After the last time, Billy had a meltdown and we didn't go again.”

 

“So...it's just been you and Billy?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I'm glad you had someone.”

 

“I wish I'd had you too,” Kim said with a sigh.

 

Trini didn't know what to say to that so she said nothing. It wasn't long before they were turning down Billy's street and pulling into his driveway. Kimberly parked the car and they both sat there, staring at the house. “What if I upset him?” Trini asked timidly.

 

“He'll be happy to see you.”

 

“What if he's not?” Trini hadn't realized just how scared of the situation she was, and the fear hammered at her heart. She suddenly felt soft fingers brush her own and she looked down. Kimberly's hand hovered over hers, as though she didn't know what to do with it, and Trini pulled her own hand away. She didn't have to look at Kim to sense her disappointment.

 

“Trust me,” Kim replied. Trini did. With everything she had. “Come on.” Kim took the keys from the ignition and pocketed them before getting out of the car and walking towards the door. Trini took a deep breath and let it out, and then she followed.

 

Kim knocked on the door just as Trini joined her, and they listened to clattering inside the house. Then Trini heard the faint sound of Billy's voice.

 

“I got it, Mom, I got it! I got it.” His voice got closer, and soon the door swung open. Billy looked out at the two girls on his front stoop, and when his eyes fell to Trini the biggest smile she'd seen in ages swept across his lips. “Trini! You came! She came!” He said the last part to Kim, who smiled back and nodded.

 

“She did.”

 

“Trini!” And he jumped across the threshold and threw his arms around Trini, pulling her into a tight hug.

 

“Whoa,” she said, shocked. She also felt like he was knocking her over. She grabbed onto him to steady herself, but found herself also melting into his arms. Her eyes closed and she breathed in the scent that was unmistakably _Billy_. “Billy's hugging me,” she said casually to Kimberly.

 

“Looks like it,” she replied, a smile in her voice.

 

“I missed you,” Billy said into her hair. “Don't leave again. Please don't leave again.”

 

Trini didn't want to get into that conversation so she just held onto him as long as he was willing. It turned out that wasn't much longer, because he soon let go and stepped backwards. He balled and unballed his fists again and again, just watching Trini and beaming, then he clapped his hands.

 

“Trini's home,” he sighed.

 

Trini smiled that half, crooked smile of hers, and she nodded. “Yeah, B, I'm home.”

 

As it turned out, the girls had arrived just in time for dinner, and Candace was as happy to see Trini as her son had been. Trini had to endure another tight but warm hug, but she didn't really mind all that much. Dinner was spent hounding Trini with questions about what she had been up to in the months that she had been gone, and she found herself with little to say. Not in her usual silent way, but because there really wasn't anything to talk about. She'd spent the months moping, working a terrible job, and living in an even more terrible apartment. She didn't make friends or talk to anyone, and she hadn't done any of the soul searching she had thought she would do.

 

“So...does that mean you'll come back?” Billy asked, hopefully. “Cause we'd love to have you around again, and with you here there'd be three of us instead of just two, and then we only have two to go!”

 

He looked so excited and Trini didn't _want_ to burst his bubble, but her mouth moved quicker than her brain. “Okay, wait,” she said, putting her fork down. “What makes you two think Jason and Zack will magically come around? Like...what if they don't want to? What if this is just how it is?” She glanced back and forth between Kimberly and Billy, and both of their faces fell.

 

“Trin,” Kim started. “They can't _want_ to live like they're living. They're miserable. Billy and I aren't over everything, we still have our bad days, but...we're working through it together.”

 

“Like a team,” Billy nodded.

 

“But we aren't a team,” Trini stressed. Candace got to her feet and started clearing dishes, and she left the room. Trini watched her go then looked to her friends. “Does your mom still think we were all just there when everything happened in Ridgewood?”

 

Billy nodded again. “And we were.”

 

“Why are you against us trying to help our friends?” Kimberly asked Trini. “I thought that's why you came back with me. To help them.”

 

“If they want it,” Trini said with a nod. “If not, I'm not gonna push it.”

 

“Why not?” Kimberly asked, eyes narrowed. Trini could tell when Kimberly was getting pissed off when she saw it.

 

“Because it's their lives.” Trini shrugged and leaned back in her chair, throwing an arm across the back of it. “It's great you two wanna help and everything, and yeah you got me to come along, but if they don't wanna see me then I don't wanna see them.”

 

“Maybe they do want to see you and just can't tell you,” Billy pointed out. “I want a lot of things but I can’t always tell people.”

 

Trini let her hand twist up in the air and she splayed her fingers out. “And maybe they already told you what they want. To be left alone.”

 

“That's what you said you wanted,” Kimberly pointed out. “But here you are.”

 

Meeting Kimberly's gaze, Trini stared deeply at her. They both knew what pulled Trini away, and it had nothing to do with her relenting her position. It was Kimberly. It was all Kimberly. The girl in question dropped her eyes to her plate.

 

“Who wants ice cream?” Billy asked, his voice cutting through the tension that he probably didn't even notice.

 

“I'm good,” Trini said.

 

“I'll take some, B,” Kim said to him with a smile. He returned it and got to his feet.

 

“I'll be right back.” He quickly left the room.

 

It was just Trini and Kimberly, and their deep, thick silence. Trini still stared Kimberly down, and Kimberly still stared at her plate. After a few moments Trini rolled her eyes and looked at her nails.

 

“You used my feelings to get me back here,” Trini said quietly. “Don't try and convince him that I had a change of heart.”

 

“Oh, so you do have those?” Kimberly asked.

 

“What? Feelings? Yeah, I do. Shocker, I know.”

 

“For me?”

 

“Kim.”

 

“You went there first,” she argued.

 

“Whatever I used to feel doesn't matter now,” Trini said sharply. She knew her words were harsh, but she couldn't let Kim think something was happening when it wasn't. When it couldn't. “I came back for Zack and Jason, and after whatever happens with that, I'm going home when we're done.”

 

“You are home.”

 

“Not anymore. So don't let Billy get his hopes up.” Trini looked at Kimberly and found the girl staring at her, and their eyes connected for a long time. They were only broken by Billy coming back into the room with two bowls in his hands.

 

“I know you said you didn't want any, Trini, but everyone loves ice cream so you should have some.” He placed a bowl in front of each of them and left the room again.

 

Trini stared down at her ice cream. She was touched that Billy cared so much and showed it in little ways like that.

 

“What about my hopes?” Kimberly's whispered voice reached her.

 

“I can't control those,” Trini said apologetically. She picked up the spoon and took a small bite of the ice cream. It was strawberry, her favorite.

 

“I-” Kimberly was cut off by Billy re-entering the room.

 

“So I think we should go to Zack's tonight,” he said, as he carried his bowl of ice cream to his seat. “We know he's home, and we 94% know he's probably not asleep.” Billy nodded to himself as he took a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. “Yeah, we should visit him tonight.”

 

“That's...soon,” Trini said.

 

“Well, I agree with Billy,” Kimberly said, sitting up straight and poking at her chocolate ice cream. “No time like the present to go after what you want.” Her voice was laced with ice and certainty, and Trini felt it to her bones. She tried to let it brush by her.

 

“If that's what you guys wanna do,” she said with a shrug.

 

“This one's all about you,” Kim reminded Trini. “He already made it clear he doesn't want to see us. You, on the other hand...”

 

“She's our wild card!” Billy exclaimed.

 

Kim gave him a smile. “Yeah she is, B.”

 

“Oh, so all the pressure's on me?” Trini twirled her spoon in the bowl. “No biggie.”

 

“See? No biggie,” Billy said to Kim.

 

“No biggie,” Kim repeated.

 

III.

 

“Biggie,” Trini said hoarsely. “Big biggie.”

 

The three sat in Kimberly's car outside Zack's trailer, and Trini had a sudden case of stage fright. She had no idea what she was supposed to say to Zack. Not when she wasn't...together herself. She gulped and continued to stare at his front door from the front passenger seat. Billy leaned in from the backseat.

 

“You can do this,” he assured her. “You're Trini Gomez, and I believe in you.”

 

The words brought a fond smile to Trini's lips and she turned her head slightly to look back at him. “Thank you, B.”

 

“You're welcome!”

 

“Now go!” Kimberly cut in, whacking Trini in the stomach lightly.

 

“Oof,” Trini replied. “Okay, okay. I'm going.” She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the car door, then she stepped out and stood there for a moment. She wasn't sure she was ready, even with Billy's encouraging words. But it was Zack. It didn't matter if she was ready or not.

 

Trini closed the door and walked across the rocky gravel. She climbed the two steps of the front stoop and opened the screen door. “You're Trini Gomez,” she whispered to herself. She knocked heavily on the front door. She waited. She knocked again. And again. And she kept knocking until her knuckles were sore, and then she knocked some more.

 

Finally the door flew open and revealed the darkness inside the trailer, and a figure emerged from the shadows. “What?!” Zack barked out.

 

Trini squinted her eyes, trying to see him. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness his form took shape, and she had to hold back a gasp of surprise. He looked so unwell. He probably hadn't shaved in weeks. His hair was long and shaggy around his ears. He wore black shorts and a stained white tank top. The skin around his eyes was dark, and he had a frown on his face that Trini had never seen before. He narrowed his sunken eyes as he seemed to realize just who was standing before him and he started to shake his head.

 

“They brought you,” he said, his voice rusty and raw.

 

“Yeah,” she answered carefully. “Can I come in?”

 

“No.” He started to close the door, but she shot her hand out to stop him.

 

“Wasn't really a question,” she said. She narrowed her eyes back at him. “We need to talk.”

 

“We don't,” he said, his voice drained of any emotion. “Nice seeing you.”

 

“Zack,” Trini said sharply. “You really don't wanna do this out here, so move over and let me in.”

 

“I don't want to do it at all.”

 

“Tough shit.”

 

“What'd they do to get you back here?”

 

“That doesn't matter.”

 

“How many times did Kimberly have to pout before you gave in, hmm?”

 

“It wasn’t like that.”

 

“Sure it wasn’t,” he smirked. “Maybe they can forget what happened and move on happily, but I can't,” he said, finally some emotion coming from his voice.

 

“They haven't and neither have I. Let me in.” She said the last part more forcefully, and she knew he knew not to mess with her with that tone.

 

“Fuck,” he hissed. He looked towards Kimberly's car and shot them a glare, but stepped back to allow Trini in.

 

Trini wasted no time in walking through the door and into the trailer. She looked around, but everything was too dark to see. “Wanna turn on a light?”

 

Zack shut the front door and sighed. He flicked on a side lamp. It gave only a soft glow to the room, but it was something. He flopped down in the old arm chair and crossed his arms. “So. You're here to tell me...what? Be happy? Life will go on?”

 

“First of all,” Trini said, eyes rolling and voice annoyed. “Cut the shit. It's me. We got history, and we keep shit real.”

 

“If we've got so much history then how was it so easy for you to skip town and leave us all behind?” He asked.

 

Trini wasn't expecting that, but she realized she probably should have. She sat down on the edge of the couch and looked at him. “I had my own shit to work out. Had nothing to do with leaving people behind or forgetting them. I did try to text you. You're the one who ignored me.”

 

“I'm a busy man,” he said, arms out wide.

 

“You're full of shit.”

 

“And so are you.” He dropped his arms and tilted his head. “Had nothing to do with leaving people behind? So you didn't ditch Kim because you couldn't deal with it?”

 

Trini's face burned and she looked away. “It wasn't just that.”

 

“You're no more healed from that shit than me,” he told her.

 

“At least I'm not holed up in a trailer lookin' like trash,” she bit back, sending him another glare. “You've really upset Billy. Do you realize that? Do you care?”

 

At that, Zack's face fell. He scratched the back of his neck. “...'course I care,” he said quietly. “But they won't leave me alone. Constantly at my door trying to get me to see them when....when seeing them, seeing any of you, just makes it worse.”

 

“You plan on hiding in here forever? Crying over what we lost and what we fucked up?”

 

“Are you over it?” He asked her, watching her through curious eyes.

 

She wanted to lie. She wanted to say anything that would help him get up and get out -- anything that would let her go back to her own life -- but she couldn't. Not to Zack. With a deep breath she shook her head. “No, man. Of course not. I don't think I'll ever be over it.”

 

“Then you get it.”

 

“Yeah, yeah I get it. But we don't have to go through it alone.” She raised her arm and pointed towards the door. “They wanna help. They wanna heal, and they want us to heal. In the end...we're family, dude. We gotta be there for each other. And they need us. You think they're healed? You think they've moved on? This is just their way of dealing. Getting us all back together.”

 

“...I miss those days.”

 

“I know you do. And if we can't have them back then we start new days. But not alone. Not like this. I don't even recognize you, Zack.”

 

A familiar smirk slowly crawled across his furry lips. “I'm still here, Crazy Girl.”

 

Hearing that nickname sent a wave of relief through Trini, and she relaxed slightly. “I know. So? How about saying hi to them. It'd be a start.”

 

“I look...” He looked down at himself.

 

“Like shit. I know. And they know. None of us care.”

 

“I don't know how to do this anymore, Trini,” he said.

 

“We'll just have to re-learn together,” she told him as she stood up. She held out her hand to him. “I'll be right there with you.”

 

“For now,” he grumbled as he stood up.

 

“For now,” she agreed. “But I don't live _that_ far away. You people act like I moved to New Jersey.”

 

“Definitely wouldn't ever visit you there,” Zack teased as he took her hand. She gave it a squeeze.

 

“Glad to know where the line is,” she said. She started for the front door, pulling him along, and he walked slowly beside her. She opened the door and looked out to Kim's car and was able to make the long-distance eye contact with Kim, who nodded and got out of the car slowly. Trini got Zack onto the porch as Billy got out of the backseat, also moving slowly. Trini could tell he was vibrating with energy and wanted to run over, and she was proud of him for restraining himself in Zack's time of need.

 

“Do they hate me?” He asked quietly, so only Trini could hear.

 

“Not one bit,” she promised him. She led him down the stairs and they stopped by Kimberly's car. The other two ex-Rangers stood in front of it, side by side, and watched Zack. Trini gave his hand another squeeze.

 

“So is this awkward or what?” Zack asked loudly.

 

“Are you okay?” Kim was quick to reply with. Trini noticed how her brown eyes were wide and worried, and a part of Trini wanted to be at Kim's side instead to comfort her. She pushed that thought away though. It wasn't about Kimberly right then. It wasn’t always about Kimberly. (Only it was.)

 

“Okay? Uhh....I don't think so,” Zack answered, scratching his head. “But I'm here?”

 

“Zack?” It was Billy who spoke up timidly.

 

“Hey B-man,” Zack said fondly.

 

“I've been pretty mad at you,” Billy told him.

 

“I probably deserve it.”

 

“But also, I've missed you.”

 

“I missed you too, man.”

 

“Are you done hiding from us?” Kim asked.

 

Zack looked at her and his small smile faded. He looked to his bare feet for a long time before bringing his gaze back to Kimberly. “I can't promise that, but...I'll try.”

 

“That's all I want,” she said with a nod.

 

Trini could see that Kimberly's eyes were filled with tears, and she was on the brink of breaking. She was about to let go of Zack's hand and go to the love of her life (oh Trini, don't go there right now), but Kim launched herself at Zack and threw her arms around him. He let go of Trini's hand to wrap his arms around Kim and hug her back tightly. Trini stepped over to Billy's side and they just watched the two hug and hold each other. Trini could hear them whispering to each other, but whatever they had to say wasn't any of her business. She looked at Billy.

 

“How you feeling?” She asked him.

 

He seemed to think about it for several beats before nodding and giving her a smile. “Good. I'm feelin' good. I think we can do this. Only one more to go.”

 

Trini let out a long gust of air. “Yeahhh...I have a feeling Jason won't be so easy.”

 

“He took it the hardest of all,” Billy said.

 

“Yeah, well, that's Jason,” she replied.

 

IV.

 

Kim sat curled up in the old Lay-Z-Boy chair in Billy's basement. She had a pink sleeping bag over herself and her legs were stretched out across the extended foot rest. The television was playing old Twilight Zone episodes, and the room was dark aside from what light it put off. She looked around. Billy was asleep on the couch with his blue sleeping bag unzipped and thrown across him. Zack was on the floor directly beside Billy, fast asleep in his black sleeping bag. Kim smiled at the sight of them both. It hadn't taken long at all for either of them to pass out once they returned from Zack's, and she was glad they were getting the rest they both clearly needed.

 

Speaking of needing rest... Kim's gaze then moved across the room to Trini who sat with her back against the wall. She had a pillow below her lower back and her legs were inside of her own sleeping bag. She was awake. Her eyes were down as she traced the yellow and black stripes of her sleeping bag, and she looked lost in deep thought. Not for the first time that night, Kim smiled at the fact that Billy had kept all of their sleeping bags from their old days. She knew how much Trini loved that sleeping bag and what it represented.

 

“Creep,” Trini muttered.

 

“I'm sorry, what?” Kim shook out of her thoughts and focused on Trini, who still didn't look up.

 

“Creep. Starin' at me.”

 

“Can you blame me?”

 

Trini finally looked up, and Kim wondered just when they had all gotten so old. They all looked so much older than they were, all of those battles later, and Trini looked like she had aged especially in the last six months. Faint lines ran along her face that hadn't been there the night they met. She was still beautiful though. Kim was certain Trini would always be beautiful.

 

“Tomorrow's gonna suck,” Trini said, changing the subject.

 

Kim curled up more, pulling her sleeping bag to her chin and resting her head on the arm rest. “I know.”

 

“Do you?” Trini tilted her head. “It's not gonna be like it was with Zack. He wasn't easy, but...we got through to him.”

 

“You got through to him.”

 

“Yeah...”

 

“We'll get through to Jason.”

 

“Probably not on the first try,” Trini reminded her.

 

“Probably not. But we'll keep trying until we do.”

 

“I've got a job to get back to.”

 

“It's the pretzel place in the mall,” Kim scoffed. “You can find something better.”

 

“Oh can I? You know, it's hard out here for the rest of us, Hart. We don't all get to keep living off our parents.”

 

“I don't live off my parents,” she argued. “Not entirely.”

 

“So you have a job?”

 

“Yes,” she said indignantly. She left it at that.

 

“Well...” Trini had a slow smirk on her lips. “What is it, Princess?”

 

Kimberly rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, knowing what was to come, and let out a sigh. She knew better than to try and hold back information from Trini. “I'm Charlie the Chicken for Chicken N’ Things,” she said under her breath. Apparently it was loud enough for Trini.

 

“Oh my god,” she said dryly. Then she slapped her hand over her lips and started laughing.

 

“Sssh!” Kimberly waved at her. “Don't wake the guys.”

 

“Kimberly Hart is Charlie the Chicken,” Trini laughed. “Oh, I need a pic of that.”

 

“You do not.”

 

“Oh, I really do.”

 

Kim shot Trini a glare and crossed her arms. “What difference does it make? I have a job.”

 

“And live with your parents, and drive the car they bought you a year ago...” Trini's laughter subsided.

 

Billy shifted on the couch and they both looked over to watch him. He rolled over and settled back in. They both let out a sigh of relief. Kim wiggled out of her sleeping bag and got off the chair, then she crossed the room and sat down beside Trini, pulling her sleeping bag up her legs. They were almost shoulder to shoulder.

 

“You know how my parents are,” Kimberly said to Trini quietly.

 

Trini stared forward and nodded. “Yeah...sorry.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“They still gone all the time?” Trini asked.

 

“Yup.”

 

“Still expect you to live with them until you find a husband?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Even though they know you're bi?”

 

Kim bit her lip. “...it's not like they're hateful of me being bi,” she said.

 

“You mean, not like my parents?” Trini deadpanned.

 

“...right. They just...well, my mom mostly, think that despite the fact I'll still marry a man.”

 

“Maybe you will,” Trini said, her voice far away.

 

“Or maybe not,” Kimberly shot back, turning her head to look at Trini. Trini didn't look back. So Kimberly stared at her profile. “When was the last time you braided your hair?” Kim reached out and brushed the spot where three braids used to sit.

 

“I can't even remember.”

 

“Can I?”

 

“You want to braid my hair?”

 

“I used to do it all the time,” Kimberly reminded her. She turned her body to a better angle and carded her fingers through Trini's hair. Oh, all the times she would braid her best friend's hair while secretly, or not so secretly, pining away. She took a breath and got to work.

 

They were both quiet for awhile, but then Trini spoke up in a soft voice. “I was serious, Kim. I can't stay in Angel Grove forever.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I have a life in Forrest Pines.”

 

“No one has a life in Forrest Pines. It's, like, Angel Grove's ugly stepsister.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Okay. Really. Tell me about this life,” Kim said, staring at Trini's head while she braided.

 

“I...have friends.”

 

Kim doubted that. “Tell me about them.”

 

“Well, first there's, uh...um...”

 

“You don't have friends there,” Kim told her.

 

“Okay! So I don't. But I could.”

 

“Do you try?”

 

“....haven't met anyone worth trying for,” Trini said, a pout in her tone.

 

“And yet, here in Angel Grove, you have four friends. And your family.”

 

“My parents don't want to see me unless it's to tell them I'm straight or have suddenly found a career they approve of.”

 

“You brothers want to see you.”

 

Kim heard Trini sigh at that. “Yeah...”

 

“I'm just saying. This is your home.”

 

“A home isn't supposed to feel suffocating and aching,” Trini said glumly.

 

Kimberly's hands stilled at those words. It made her heart clench hearing Trini say it, and she wished instantly that she knew how to make those feelings go away. “Well,” she said finally. “That's something we're all working on together.”

 

“It's easy for you,” Trini said. “You and Billy. You guys are...rising above it all and trying to help us.”

 

“It hasn't been easy for one second,” Kim replied, pulling Trini's hair a little too tight. Trini gasped. “Sorry. I just...it's not easy, okay? Especially not trying to pull the rest of you upright.” Kim may have been a little sensitive to the topic. She couldn't help it. She and Billy had spent six months trying to get through to their friends, and there were absolutely days that she wanted to give up and hide away like the others. There were days she thought it wasn't worth it, that they weren't worth it, but then she always thought of Trini, and she found perspective again. Not that she could say any of that aloud. Besides, they’d all always be worth anything.

 

“So many people still hate the Power Rangers,” Trini droned.

 

“Yeah...well, look what happened.” Kim finished the braids and sat back to admire her work, and then she admired Trini. “Looks good,” she said. She sat back against the wall.

 

Trini ran her fingers over the braids and a small smile came to her lips. “Remember when we'd have sleepovers and you'd always ask to braid my hair?”

 

“I like it braided,” Kim said simply.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah...makes you even more beautiful.”

 

“Kim...”

 

“I remember,” she continued, “asking to braid your hair all the time, because when I did I got to be close to you. And I remember when you slept over you'd sleep beside me, and I'd fantasize about wrapping my arms around you and feeling you against my chest while we slept.”

 

“...you did though,” Trini whispered. “When I had nightmares...”

 

“I felt so helpless.”

 

“You helped so much. Just by being there.”

 

“Trin, I love you,” Kim sputtered out without thinking. (Good going, Hart.)

 

“Oh, god...Kim...” Trini was shaking her head and clenching the sleeping bag in her hands. “Not now. Not tonight.”

 

“Why can't we talk about it?”

 

“Because I'm not ready,” Trini answered, finally looking over at Kim.

 

“Will you be?” Kim's eyes were wide and hopeful.

 

“I don't know.”

 

“Will you tell me when you are?”

 

“Yeah...I can do that.”

 

“Can I...sleep next to you?” Kim asked. She hated to sound so pathetic, but she was having a hard time letting Trini out of her sight. Whether she was worried Trini would leave her or was just worried for Trini in general, she didn't know. She just knew she needed to stay close.

 

“Yeah. Sure.”

 

They both pushed from the wall and lay down with their heads close to it, but also beside one another, and they held a long gaze as they settled in. Kim wanted to reach out and touch Trini's face, run her fingers over her skin, but she held back. Instead she offered a small smile.

 

“Goodnight, Trini.”

 

“Goodnight, Princess.”

 

V.

 

The next morning Trini opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of Kimberly asleep beside her. The other girl was curled on her side, facing Trini, and her face looked peaceful and relaxed. Trini hadn't seen that in such a long time. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found her hand moving to Kim's face to brush her fingers against it lightly. Kim stirred but stayed asleep, and Trini let out a breath. She was awed, as always, by how beautiful Kim was. By how perfect she was.

 

Trini didn't know exactly what held her back. She had her excuses; everything was too much, she wasn't who she'd been when she fell for Kimberly in the first place. But god, she still loved her. Why couldn't she have said it the night before? Kimberly had been so open and brave, and Trini hadn't been able to return it.

 

She brushed the hair that hung over Kim's eye. It had gotten so long since they'd last been together. Kim usually kept it at the short bob she'd acquired before they became Rangers, but it was down to her shoulders then. Trini pulled her hand back, biting down on her lip, and she stared more.

 

“Hey, Crazy Girl,” Zack's whispered voice was suddenly at her other side and she jumped.

 

“Jesus, Zack,” she hissed. She looked over her shoulder at him. “What?”

 

“If you're done being weird, come on.” He nodded his head to the stairs.

 

“Not being weird,” she muttered, crawling out of her sleeping bag. She followed him up the stairs and into the kitchen where they'd always been welcome to make themselves at home. She got a glass of water and he leaned back against one of the counters.

 

“Got a plan on what you're gonna say to Jason?” He asked. When she approached him he took her glass and stole a few sips of it. She grabbed it back.

 

“Me? Why me?”

 

“Because. They obviously haven't gotten through to him yet.”

 

“So why not you?” Trini raised a brow at him and drank her water.

 

“He doesn't wanna see me,” Zack said, shaking his head.

 

“You don't know that.”

 

“I tried to see him once.” He crossed his arms. “I was drunk and pissed off, and I went over there. He took one look at me and told me to go home.”

 

“Probably because you were drunk,” Trini said. “You get dumb when you're drunk. Dumber.”

 

“No, I'm dumb. You're dumber.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“I think you know,” he said ominously.

 

She stared at him through narrowed eyes and the longer she stared at him the more she hated how he looked. “You need to shave.”

 

“I look rugged,” he argued.

 

“You look stupid.”

 

“Whatever,” he huffed. He ran his fingers through his long hair. “It just...doesn't seem important.”

 

“Personal hygiene?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“God.” She rolled her eyes and finished off her water. “Meet me in Billy's bathroom,” she said.

 

“Finally coming around?” He teased. She hit him in the arm and walked away. She found Candace in the living room and talked to her for a minute then went down the hall to Billy's bathroom. Zack was sitting on the edge of the tub. Trini held up a razor and a set of clippers. “We're fixing this.”

 

“Trini. Why are you-”

 

“Because this,” she waved at him, “isn't Zack. I need Zack.”

 

“I'm right here, Crazy Girl.”

 

“No, you're not. This will be a start though.”

 

A few minutes later she had him leaning over the sink while she moved the clippers through his hair. It was coming out a little shorter than she was used to seeing on him, but it was better than it had been. She worked quietly, listening to the small machine in her hands, and watching the long locks fall into the sink.

 

“I heard you and Kim last night,” he said, loud enough to be heard over the buzzing.

 

“Why were you listening?”

 

“Uh, because two crazy chicks were talking and woke me up?” His voice was slightly muffled at the angle, but she heard him just fine. She scowled.

 

“You shouldn't have been listening.”

 

“But I was,” he said. “So why didn't you tell her you love her back?”

 

“Who says I do?”

 

“I've known you do since the beginning. And because you’re Trini and Kimberly. She deserved to hear it after everything.”

 

“It's not the right time.”

 

“When is? We know more than anyone that anything can happen.”

 

Trini paused with the clippers and in doing so shaved a spot in the back of his head. “Shit!” She quickly went back to work, hoping he wouldn't notice. “I don't know if it'll ever be the right time,” she answered honestly. If she could be open with anyone, it was Zack.

 

“You're full of shit,” he said, repeating his words from the night before.

 

“Think I don't know that?” She changed the blade on the clippers to shave his neck clean. “I don't wanna talk about this.”

 

“You should be thankful I want to talk about anything,” he reminded her.

 

“We should be talking about you and what you're doing with your life.”

 

“I'm not doing anything with my life.”

 

“Exactly.” She wiped at his neck and turned the clippers off. “The Zack I know would still be fighting. Not giving up.”

 

“The Trini I know would be doing exactly what you're doing,” he replied. “So it's nice to see you haven't changed.”

 

She stepped back and waited for him to stand up and turn to look at her. She sent him a glare. “Was I supposed to change?”

 

“After what we went thought...yeah, maybe.”

 

“After what we went through you're all lucky I'm here,” she spat.

 

“Oh! Glory! Trini graced us with her presence.” He clasped his hands together and she gave his shoulder a shove.

 

“Shave your stupid face,” she said, pointing at the razor. “Then take a shower and clean up. God knows when you last took one.”

 

“I'll have you know...I don't remember.”

 

“Of course not.” She shook her head and headed out the door.

 

“Stop being scared of her,” he called after her.

 

Trini found Kimberly and Billy sitting in the dining room with bowls of cereal. Kim spotted her and pulled out the chair beside her, so Trini settled down in it. Billy had his trusted box of Fruit Loops beside him, and he gave her a warm smile.

 

“Good morning, Trini,” he said.

 

“Good morning, Billy,” she replied with a smile. How could she not smile at him?

 

“Good morning,” Kim said beside her, giving her arm a nudge with her elbow.

 

Trini looked over at her and their eyes met. Kim was smiling, her eyes warm and sparkling, and Trini gave her a small smile in return. “Good morning.”

 

“You should eat something,” Billy said, pushing a bowl to her. “We have things to do today.”

 

“Right,” Trini said. She thought about Jason and felt her chest tighten. It felt weird being at Billy's as a group and not having their leader there, but then again he wasn't their leader anymore, was he? He was just a guy. A guy, she found, that she missed. She quietly poured herself a bowl of cereal and added the milk that Kim passed her, and she started to eat. She wasn't really hungry, but Billy was right. They needed their strength. As much as they could get anymore.

 

After several minutes of nothing but the sound of spoons clinking bowls and chewing, Zack entered the room. They all looked up at him. He looked refreshed and clean, and Trini could see his whole face. He gave them a timid smile, like he was scared of revealing his face to them, and he scratched his head.

 

“Got another bowl?” He asked.

 

“Of course!” Billy pushed it to the seat beside him.

 

“Zack, you look great,” Kim told him.

 

His smile was still awkward as he sat down and he looked at her with a nod. “Thanks, Kimmy. You look great, too.”

 

She chuckled and picked up her orange juice. “Why thank you.”

 

His smile relaxed a little at that and he poured his cereal. “So, do we have a plan for today?”

 

“We're going to Jason's,” Billy said.

 

“I think he meant...do we have a plan for talking to Jase,” Kimberly offered.

 

“Oh,” Billy said. “Well, I think Trini or Zack should try. They haven't been around.”

 

“He won't see me,” Zack said glumly.

 

“Like he'd see me?” Trini asked. “If he doesn't wanna see the rest of you, I don't know why I'd be different.”

 

“I'd want to see you if I were him,” Kimberly said.

 

“Because you're super bi for her,” Zack teased, tossing a Fruit Loop at Kimberly.

 

“Hey!” Kim picked it up and threw it back. “No one asked you.”

 

He caught it in his mouth and chewed, a smile on his lips. “Has that ever stopped me?”

 

Trini was still thinking deeply about Jason. She looked over at Billy and caught him staring at her. He gave her a soft grimace.

 

“I think he might listen to you,” Billy said to Trini. “You're the one we all listen to.” Trini frowned at those words. “You don't talk a lot,” he went on. “So when you do, we listen.”

 

“If everyone listened to me we would have run away,” she muttered.

 

“And even more people would be dead,” Kimberly replied. “Besides, we knew you didn't mean it. You wanted to fight as much as the rest of us did.”

 

“I wanted to _win_.”

 

“We all wanted to win,” Zack said, his voice laced with anger.

 

“I don't wanna talk about it.” Trini waved a hand in the air.

 

“We need to talk about it,” Billy said. “That's the only way-”

 

“To heal?” Trini interrupted. “We all keep talking about that, about healing, but does anyone really expect us to?”

 

“I expect us to,” Kimberly said, angrily. “I expect us to come back from it.”

 

“And what?” Trini looked at her. “Move on? Go on with our lives and be happy?” Her words were cold and bitter.

 

“We could be,” Kim said quietly. “Nothing says we can't be happy again, despite what happened.”

 

“We don't deserve that.” Trini looked down into her bowl. She felt all of their eyes on her, but she didn't care. She didn't want to play Kimberly's game anymore. They caused something horrible and they weren't allowed to forget it.

 

“Yes we do,” Kim said, her voice still soft. “It wasn’t our fault, Trin. We-”

 

Trini dropped her spoon and pushed back from the table. She didn't want to hear any more. She didn't want Kim's hopefulness. She stalked off towards the basement, but at the open doorway her hand was grabbed and she was pushed up against the door. Kim was against her, staring deep into her eyes, and then Kim's hands were on her face and she kissed Trini.

 

Trini struggled for a moment, but Kim's mouth was so warm and soft, and she hadn't felt it in so long. She melted and began kissing back. The kiss was slow and deep, and she felt Kim's tongue on her lips so she opened her mouth for it. She let her tongue rub Kim's and whimpered when Kim's tongue explored her mouth. Her hands gripped at Kimberly's shoulders tightly. She felt a buzz run through her body and settle between her legs, and Kim's hips were rocking against hers. Their lips parted for air and Kim gasped for breath into Trini's mouth.

 

“We deserve this,” Kim whispered.

 

Trini wanted it. She did. She wanted to curl around Kimberly and forget how painful everything was, but she couldn't. She still didn't feel like she deserved a happy ending, especially not one with Kim. She pushed Kim off of her and wouldn't look at her.

 

“No, we don't,” she said. She peeled past Kim and went down the stairs into the basement, and luckily Kim didn't follow. Trini found her sleeping bag and crawled into it, zipping herself in completely, and shifting down until only the top of her head stuck out. Then she started to cry. It was moments like that that she felt the heat, smelled the smoke, and heard the cries of people around them. It was moments like that that she felt just as helpless as she had been on that day.

 

VI.

 

_Kim and Trini sat cross-legged, facing each other on Kim's bed. The window was open slightly letting in the warm air and sound of crickets. Kimberly watched Trini pick at the popcorn in the bowl between them and throw the pieces back in. Neither really felt like eating. There were no lights on as the two opted to sit in the dark with the moonlight pouring through the window. Kim could still see Trini clearly though. Trini was always the brightest object in her sight._

_“Why do the worst ones always tell us when they're gonna attack anyway?” Trini asked in a mutter._

 

_“Because they have the worst egos,” Kim answered. “They want to make sure we'll be there. They want to make sure we're scared.”_

 

_“Well I am. Scared.”_

 

_“Me too.” Kim continued to watch Trini and didn't miss it when the other girl briefly looked up at her before looking down again. “But we'll get through it. We always do.”_

 

_“Sometimes I feel like I'm just along for the ride while the rest of you save the day.”_

 

_“What? No, Trini, you do so much. You're an amazing fighter. Especially with your daggers. You seriously amaze me. How else do you think I get knocked over so many times while we're training?”_

 

_Trini snorted. “Thought maybe you had a problem with gravity.”_

 

_Kim hummed and reached into the popcorn bowl, her fingers brushing Trini's as she did, and she took out a few pieces. “My problem with gravity is probably that I like the pull too much.”_

 

_“There is that,” Trini agreed. She almost smiled, but not quite._

 

_Trini had been looking worried ever since they left training, and with good reason. It just troubled Kim. She hated seeing Trini that way. If she couldn't bring a smile to Trini's lips then what good was she? Trini was...perfect. More than just a skilled fighter, Trini was brave and daring. She had the respect of the entire team without demanding it, and she had Kimberly's heart without asking for it. Kimberly didn't know exactly when she had fallen in love with Trini or when she ever realized it, but she had. God, had she. If her every thought wasn't of being a Power Ranger then it was of Trini. She thought about Trini constantly, and was always hyper-aware of her presence when they were together. Which was why she didn't need any light that evening. Trini was more beautiful in the moonlight. All of the shadows and angles and slopes, the sharp lines, Kimberly had them memorized. Her head had tilted as she thought, as she stared, and her heart pounded so loudly she had to wonder if Trini could hear. She sighed._

 

_“You're my hero, Trini Gomez,” she said softly._

_Trini snorted again. “Yeah, okay...”_

 

_Kim reached out to still her hands over the bowl, and she leaned over it to get closer to Trini. She knew she would never have this singular chance again. In all reality, she might never have the chance again, period. So. She was taking it. She easily let her lips find Trini's in the darkness and she kissed her. One short, sweet kiss, and she pulled back. But before she could get too far away Trini leaned forward and kissed her. Kim smiled into it. Before long, the kiss deepened. Trini's hands were on Kim's knees and Kim wrapped her arms around Trini's neck. They kissed, and they kissed, until they had to break for air. Kim was beaming when they parted. Trini had a small smile on her lips, but wouldn't meet Kim's gaze._

 

_“Wow,” Kim whispered._

 

_“Mhmm,” Trini hummed._

 

_The two sat quietly for awhile. Trini stared at the popcorn and Kimberly stared at Trini. She wanted to kiss Trini again, but she could tell from Trini's demeanor that it wasn't the right time. Kim ran her fingers through her hair. “Trin...”_

 

_Trini looked up at Kim and shook her head. She moved the bowl of popcorn to the bedside table and started to get under the covers. “We have a big day tomorrow. We'll talk about it later.”_

 

_Kim wanted to talk about it then, but then she'd always had a problem with needing things instantly. So she nodded and got in the bed beside her best friend. “Okay,” she agreed. She could live with that. Especially seeing as how she couldn't get that damn smile off her lips. The lips that still burned from Trini's own._

 

_“Goodnight, Princess.”_

 

_“Goodnight, Trini.”_

 

Kimberly walked back into the dining room and both Billy and Zack looked up at her. She was sure they could see it written all over her face. Or, at least, one of them could. She felt her face burn as she reclaimed her seat, trying to not pay much attention to the empty one beside her.

 

“What was that all about?” Zack asked, knowingly.

 

“We...had some stuff to talk about,” Kim answered.

 

“I'd say,” he replied with a smirk. “And did you...'talk'?”

 

“Why did he use air quotes? Why did you use air quotes?” Billy asked, brows furrowed.

 

“Because he's an idiot,” Kim answered. “And...she didn't really want to talk,” she said the last part directed at Zack.

 

“Here's a question, Kimmy.” Zack leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head. “Just how hard are you gonna push her for shit she's not ready to face?”

 

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

 

“You know what I'm talking about.”

 

“I don't,” Billy said with a raised hand. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

 

“She's only here because of old feelings for you,” Zack spelled out. “Which I'm sure you, with best intentions, pressed on.”

 

“You're saying I _used_ that to get her back here?”

 

“I am. And I think it blows.”

 

“Listen, ass-face-”

 

“Language,” Billy warned.

 

“-I didn't 'press on her feelings'. I asked her to come back and help us. Wait, you know what? What she and I talked about are none of your business.” Kimberly was angry, and she was letting him know it with her tone. “And I get that you're trying to act like her big, bad protector, but you haven't talked to her since she moved! At least I tried!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, you and Billy are the real heroes,” Zack said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.

 

“I think we're all heroes still,” Billy interjected.

 

Kimberly ignored Billy. “Well, you don't see us being too afraid to face the world. You may look like yourself again, but you're still a coward.”

 

Zack shoved his chair out behind him and stood up, pointing a finger at her. “Listen, little Ms. Princess-”

 

“What the hell?!” Trini ran into the dining room and looked between them. “What are your problems?!” She held a hand up. “Actually, don't answer that. You both have too many. Billy and Candace are being real great about letting us stay here, and you're gonna get into a yelling match like this? Right here?”

 

“I'm happy to take it outside,” Zack said.

 

“No one's going outside!” Trini shouted.

 

“Except when we go see Jason,” Billy said.

 

“Except when we go see Jason! And if you're both lucky I won't make you two sit in the back seat together.”

 

Kim huffed. “It's my car!”

 

“Do I look like I care?”

 

Actually, Kim thought Trini looked really hot. She always thought angry Trini was really hot. And that took her back to that moment before, finally kissing Trini again after all those months, and she felt herself get flushed. She cleared her throat. “Sorry.” She didn't say it with much conviction. She was still angry at Zack, and she had a feeling they both had a lot more to say to each other before it was all said and done. Things that maybe needed to be said.

 

“Yeah, I'm sorry,” Zack chimed in, also not sounding very sorry.

 

“Thank you, Trini,” Billy said from his seat. “I didn't like where that was going.”

 

“Me either.” Trini told him.

 

Kim finally looked hard at Trini, and from the color of her cheeks and the redness in her eyes, she could tell Trini had been crying. Her heart sank. She'd made Trini cry. She wanted to apologize, but she knew it wasn't the time. She also wasn't sure Trini would listen.

 

“Everyone clean up. We're going to see Jason,” Trini commanded.

 

“Okay,” they said in unison.

 

Once the dining room was clear and everyone had gotten fresh clothes on and brushed their teeth, they went outside and stood around Kimberly's car.

 

“We're not gonna ambush him, right?” Trini asked. “Cause...that might be bad.”

 

“No, we're not. Let's try one at a time. See what happens,” Kim suggested.

 

“As long as I'm not first,” Zack said.

 

“I'll go first,” Billy offered. “Even though I know...” He hung his head.

 

Kimberly was standing beside him at the front and back doors, and she nudged him lightly. “It's worth a shot, B.”

 

“Okay, Billy goes first. Are we going to his house?” Trini asked, standing outside the front passenger door.

 

“Yeah, is he working anywhere or what?” Zack asked, beside her at the back door.

 

“No. According to his dad he's looking for work, but it's hard with his leg,” Kimberly said. “The doctors won't give him anymore pain killers, so he's using alcohol.”

 

“...right,” Zack sighed. “Okay, let's just go.”

 

“Okay,” Kim said. She unlocked the car and four doors opened simultaneously, and they got in. They all buckled their seat belts, and as that was happening Kim looked over at Trini. “I'm sorry,” she whispered.

 

Trini met her eyes briefly. “Forget it.” Then she sat back and looked out her window.

 

Kim sighed to herself and started the car, and she pulled out of the driveway and drove them across town to Jason's house. The drive was silent. Everyone was looking out the window deep in thought. When they pulled up in front of the Scott's house they all looked at it warily. They didn't know what was about to happen, but they knew it wouldn't be pretty.

 

“Okay, B, you're up,” Kim said, craning her neck to look back at him.

 

He gave her a big smile and two thumbs up. “I got this,” he assured her.

 

She gave him a smile. “I know you do, B.”

 

Billy unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. He gave them all a little wave before walking up to drive to the front door, and the three watched with bated breath as he knocked.

 

“I give it a minute before he's back here,” Zack said.

 

“Shut up,” Trini warned him.

 

“Have some faith in Billy,” Kimberly said. They were all leaning their heads in the same direction as they peered up at the front door.

 

“Oh, Billy I have faith in,” Zack told her. “It's Jason I don't.”

 

Billy was knocking again, and he turned back to look at them with a look of anxiousness. Then the door opened and it was Jason's mother. She gave Billy a smile and leaned out to wave at the others in the car. They all waved back. Then she and Billy were talking, and she was shaking her head. She turned and disappeared into the house and Billy followed her, and the door closed.

 

“He's inside. That's a step,” Kim said.

 

“Now we wait,” Trini replied. She sat back in her seat and stared out the front window. Kim looked at her for a moment before doing the same. Zack popped in between them.

 

“Who wants to play I-Spy?”

 

“I-Spy a moron. I win,” Trini said dryly.

 

“She was talking about you,” both Kim and Zack said at the same time. Trini snorted.

 

“Fine, be that way.” Zack sat back in his seat.

 

They were all quiet for awhile. Kimberly was thinking about the kiss again, and she wondered if Trini was thinking about it, too. She didn't want to look over at the other girl. Okay, so yeah, she did want to, but she was going to refrain. She needed to give Trini some breathing room, and she could understand that much.

 

Kimberly went on to think about Jason, and how she hoped he'd listen to Billy this time. Give the boy a chance. She knew how devastated Billy was every time Jason refused to talk to them or see them, and she didn't want to see that look on his face again.

 

But she did. Two minutes later he came out of the Scott house with his head hung. He took slow, heavy-footed steps to the car and climbed into the back seat. “He said go away,” Billy said sadly.

 

“He told you to go away?!” Kim swung around in her seat to look at him.

 

“First he said, 'oh great, it's Billy'. I thought he was happy I was there. Then he said 'just go away'. I tried to tell him that we all wanted to see him, but he wouldn't listen.”

 

“It's okay, B,” Trini said, also turned around in her seat. “You did great, and I’m sure deep down he was happy to see you.”

 

“Yeah man, brave as hell,” Zack said, and he held out a fist to his friend. Billy bumped his fist to Zack's, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. “Know what? I'll go next. I've got some words for that man.” Zack undid his seat belt.

 

“Don't make things worse,” Kim warned him.

 

He leveled a glare at her, and she could tell he was still upset with her from earlier. “Don't worry, I got it under control.”

 

Ten minutes later he was climbing into the back seat.

 

“Turns out I don't got it under control,” he said. “Good ol' boss man told me exactly where I could shove my concerns.”

 

Kim huffed. “He's being ridiculous. I'm going in.”

 

“Maybe we should just go,” Trini said, tentatively. “He clearly doesn't want to talk to us.”

 

“He's just being stubborn,” Kim assured her. “I'll go try.” She left the keys in the ignition and got out of the car. She closed the door and looked up at the Scott house with trepidation. How many times had she done this already? Tried to get through to him? To even listen to her for five minutes? And it was always the same. Him yelling at her to leave him alone.

 

They were all pretty miserable, but Jason was winning it by a landslide. Even though the rest of them still had a lot to work out, and lot to figure out for themselves, they were at least together again. They needed Jason. Even though they didn't have powers anymore, even though they didn't have literal fights to go through, even though they weren’t really a team anymore, they still needed their leader.

 

She took a deep breath and walked up the driveway. She was going to try, because that's what she'd been doing for months, and she wasn't about to stop until they were all together and okay. And maybe, just maybe, then she could truly talk to Trini.

 

VII.

 

Trini crossed her arms and watched Kimberly go through the front door. It closed behind her, and Trini nibbled on her bottom lip. She wanted to keep watch over Kim, to make sure she was okay, but there was a door separating them. She knew that she had been giving Kim the cold shoulder, but it was just what she did. What she really wanted was to hold Kim's hand through it all and have reassurance that someone was at her side, but she was a realistic kind of person and she knew that couldn't happen. She was still too fucked up from everything and she wasn't about to let herself ruin what should have been an amazing thing.

 

“So what happened with you two?” Zack asked her from the backseat.

 

“With what?” She asked, playing dumb.

 

“At the house earlier when she ran after you and came back by herself.”

 

Trini narrowed her eyes and looked over her shoulder. “None of your business.”

 

“It is if her selfishness is gonna fuck all this up,” he shot back.

 

“Language,” Billy warned.

 

“Sorry, Billy,” Zack amended.

 

“Her selfishness?” Trini asked incredulously. “What the hell does that mean? Sorry Billy.”

 

“I mean what I said,” Zack shrugged. “She's selfish and if she's being selfish with you and messing you up, it's gonna mess up the rest of us, too.”

 

“Wow, cause that sounds selfish itself,” she commented. “How about you worry about your attitude and not my business with her?”

 

“You're defending her?”

 

“I'm just sayin', leave it alone.” She turned back to the front and looked out her side window towards the Scott house.

 

“Were you two always this frustrating when we were Rangers?” He asked.

 

“No, you were just less of an ass,” she replied without looking back. “Sorry Billy.”

 

The front door opened and Kim stepped out, brushing her hair back. Trini squinted to study her, but she couldn't read her from so far away. Kim walked down the driveway and around the car, and she got in and sat down.

 

“That didn't work,” she said. She sounded sad and let down. Trini's heart cracked.

 

“What happened?” She asked.

 

“He just groaned when he saw me and told me to leave. I tried to talk to him anyway, but he ignored me completely and watched TV. After a few minutes I just gave up. I probably should have stuck it out longer, but...I just couldn't.”

 

“He didn't call you names?” Zack asked.

 

“No. He wouldn't even look at me.” Kim's eyes were on her lap and she was playing with her fingers. Trini hated it.

 

In fact, she kind of hated Jason Scott at that moment. She knew he was in a bad place, but no one messed with her...Kimberly and got away with it! She undid her seat belt and opened her door.

 

“My turn now,” she said, her voice tight and angry. “And he's gonna listen.”

 

“Good luck, Trini,” Billy said to her.

 

“Yeah,” Zack laughed. “Good luck.”

 

Trini ignored him.

 

“Just...tell him we miss him,” Kimberly said softly, looking up at Trini. Trini dared to meet her gaze, and they held each others for several beats. Trini felt it deep within her soul and she felt her hands start to shake. She curled them into fists and gave Kim a nod before getting out of the car and shutting the door.

 

Just as the others before her had, she walked up the driveway to the front door and she knocked. Jason's mom opened it and gave Trini a smile.

 

“Oh, Trini. I haven't seen you in ages.” She reached out to wrap her arms around Trini, and Trini let her. She even closed her eyes and sunk into it a bit. She had always loved Jason's mom. She was kind and welcoming to all of them, and especially so to Trini. She had a feeling Jason had told her about some of her troubles at home. Trini pulled from the hug and looked up at the woman.

 

“Can I see him?”

 

“Of course,” she nodded, leading Trini into the house. Trini knew the way, of course, but she let herself be led. They walked down the hall and into the living room, and there was Jason; sitting on the couch with his leg propped up on the coffee table, a beer beside him, and a bag of chips in his lap.

 

Trini licked her lips and walked over to stand in front of the television. “Jason,” she said flatly.

 

“They dragged you out of your hole,” he commented without looking at her.

 

“Yup,” she replied. “And I'm not any happier about being here than you are about me being here, so do me a favor and listen for a minute.” She crossed her arms over her chest, a usual sign that she meant business.

 

“No offense, Trini, but any lecture from you will be bullshit.” He tried peering around her to the game on the TV. “You’ve been hiding away further than any of us.”

 

“Sounds like that was full offense, but okay.” She took a step back, blocking the television more, and she leveled her narrowed eyes on him. “You need to snap out of this. I get that you're upset, I get that you blame yourself, but the rest of us are trying and we need you to try, too.”

 

“What do I need to say to make you leave?”

 

“Nothing. But you can leave with me.”

 

“No thanks.”

 

“Jason. We're worried about you. Do you get that? You're miserable, you're not working, and we're all worried sick about you. We want you to be better, because you are better than this. You're Jason freakin' Scott!” She threw her hands in the air. “You're-” her voiced dropped, “the Red Ranger. And our leader. So come lead us!”

 

“I'm not,” he said quietly, shaking his head. “I'm not the Red Ranger anymore. I turned in my coin. And I'm not a leader. Can’t lead without a team.”

 

“You're our leader with or without powers,” she assured him.

 

“Maybe I don't wanna be!” He finally looked at her, and Trini saw the exhaustion and redness in his eyes. “I wasn't a good one then, and I wouldn't be a good one now.”

 

“What are you talking about? You were a great leader!”

 

“If I was so great, why did it happen? Hm?”

 

“I don't know why, but I know you did your job the best that you could.”

 

“I should have been better.”

 

“We all should have been better,” she agreed. “Look, I'm not at Kim and Billy's level. I haven't accepted what happened, and I'm not ready to forget it and move on. What happened? It sucked. It sucked hard. We all screwed up, and we didn't do what we were supposed to do and save the day, and that sucks. I'm still glad I handed in my coin, because personally, I don't think I deserve it. But fuck if I still don't believe that you were a great leader who did everything that he could. And I'm sorry it's so hard for you, and I'm sorry about your leg, but they-” She pointed out the window. “-want us to be a _family_ again. They want us to work through this together, and...god,” she sighed and let her head fall back. “I hate admitting this, but maybe they've got a point. Because...we are still family, and we're always gonna be family. We got an adventure that only the five of us can relate to. And...I miss us.” She stared at him, her breath shaky at having opened up so much. “Don't you miss us?”

 

Jason stared through her, his brows scrunched together, and his jaw clenched. He flexed his fingers at his side and swallowed. “All the time,” he answered quietly.

 

“Then come be with us,” she urged. “We don't even have to talk yet, but we can all be together.” She knew that Kim would want to talk, would want to press Jason about everything, but Trini was certain she could keep that at bay for the time being. If it got Jason out of the house with them.

 

“I can't,” he said. “I look like shit.”

 

Trini looked him over. He was in sweats and a tee shirt, and he had several days worth of fuzz on his face. He had chips stuck in it and his hair was oily and all over the place. She smirked slightly and shook her head.

 

“So go take a shower,” she told him. “You do smell,” she teased. “Then come outside and hang out with us. Even if we don't go anywhere.”

 

“The others...” he said. “I...wasn't nice to them.”

 

“They'll forgive you,” she promised. “Just go...get yourself ready and come outside. We'll wait.”

 

“It might take awhile.”

 

“We'll wait,” she repeated.

 

“...okay.” He got up and winced when he put his foot down. He picked up a sleek, black cane that had been resting by the couch and started to limp down the hallway. “They should have sent you in first,” he said as he went.

 

Trini chuckled at that and pumped her fist in victory. She rushed outside and plopped down in her seat in the car. Everyone was staring at her expectantly, and she said nothing. She just smirked.

 

“So?” Zack finally asked.

 

“...she did it,” Kimberly said in awe, staring at Trini. Trini met her eyes and smiled. Kim returned the smile.

 

“He's taking a shower, and then he'll be out,” Trini said.

 

Billy whooped from the back, Zack patted her on the shoulder, and Kimberly reached out and squeezed her hand and didn't let go. Trini looked down at their hands. It felt so good and she was so happy in that moment that she let it be.

 

For the next thirty minutes the four talked some and didn't talk more, and the entire time Trini didn't let go of Kim's hand. They all waited, wondering if Jason would change his mind and not come out. But then the front door opened and he came walking out slowly with his cane. He was squinting at the sunlight, but he walked down the driveway. The four in the car jumped out and ran to meet him halfway. He stared at the ground. They ended up in a circle there in the driveway, and everyone watched Jason watching the pavement. After awhile it was Billy who spoke first.

 

“Jason, it's good to see you,” he said. “I mean, I know I just saw you, but that wasn't so good, but this is good. It's good, isn't it?” He asked his other friends, looking to each one of them. They all nodded.

 

“It's great,” Kimberly said, looking back at Jason. He raised his head and looked at her, and the two shared a long, silent stare.

 

“Glad you're out,” Zack said. Jason broke his gaze with Kimberly and looked at Zack, and the two nodded to each other with grim smiles.

 

“This is so great!” Billy cheered, bouncing where he stood. “The gang's back together.”

“For now,” Zack replied.

 

“What?” Billy's face fell and Trini whacked Zack in the side. “What do you mean?”

 

Zack rolled his eyes at Trini, but continued. “I mean, we all have lives to get back to still. Trini doesn't even live in Angel Grove anymore.”

 

“Zack!” Kimberly cried.

 

“I'm just stating the truth!”

 

“Well how about you state it some other time,” Trini grumbled. She looked at Billy. “Ignore him, B.”

 

“This is...not going well,” Jason said rigidly.

 

“No, no...we're just out of practice,” Kimberly assured him. She looked to Trini for help, but Trini just shrugged. She didn't know what to say.

 

“I...can come visit more?” She offered.

 

“Or move back,” Kimberly huffed under her breath.

 

“Kim, not now,” Trini muttered.

 

“Yeah Kim, save your desperation for some other time,” Zack cut in.

 

“You know, I’ve about had enough of you-” Kim crossed the circle, finger pointed at Zack, and out for a kill. Trini leapt forward and wrapped an arm around Kim’s waist to pull her back to her side.

 

“Stop!” Trini shouted. She looked over her shoulder to glare at Zack who just held his hands in the air. They were both such children. Trini shook her head and let go of Kim.

 

“You guys...have a lot to work out without me.” Jason said quietly. He turned to go back inside.

 

“Wait!” Billy called out. Jason stopped and turned to look at him.

“We all have a lot to work out, but we won’t work it out if we’re not all together,” Billy implored. “Please. Stay with us.”

 

“Billy…” Jason said tiredly.

 

“He’s right,” Trini said. She crossed her arms and looked at each one of them, but her eyes finally stayed on Jason. He met hers and waited. “We’re gonna have fights, and we’re gonna blame each other, but we’re gonna work it out.”

 

“I have enough going on in my own head,” Jason argued. “I don’t need to listen to all of this.” He waved a hand in Zack and Kimberly’s direction.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kimberly said, and it sounded like she meant it. Like she was desperate for him to hear it.

 

“So what you’re saying is, you’ve got your shit to worry about and can’t be bothered with our shit,” Trini shot back at Jason. “Cause that’s what it sounds like, and that’s a fucked up thing to say to your friends who went through the same thing you went through.”

 

“Trini,” he started, but was cut off.

 

“No. You know what? If you can’t deal with all this,” she waved a hand at the remaining four, “then we don’t need you. Not now, and not when we get it worked out.” Trini was done. She was ready to go. She reached for the car keys in Kimberly’s hand, and Kim released them with a questioning look on her face.

 

“Trini,” Jason said. When she ignored him and started towards the car he followed slowly. “Trini, wait.”

 

“Why?” She stopped by the trunk of the car and looked back at him.

 

“I’ll try harder,” he offered. His hand was clenched tight around his cane.

 

“It’s not worth my time if you don’t care.”

 

“I care,” he said, though he sounded less convincing than he might have a year before.

She thought it over and nodded. “Okay.” It was enough for her. She walked back up the driveway, and when Kimberly took the keys back she wrapped her fingers around Trini’s for a moment. Trini looked at her and saw the question in her gaze, _‘Are you okay?’_ And Trini didn’t know if she was. They all kept expecting things from her, expecting her to lead the way, and she didn’t want to. She still wasn’t sure if she wanted to be there. Being back in her crummy apartment was easier. Being away from Kim and her hauntingly beautiful eyes was easier. At last, Trini nodded. And she could tell that Kim didn’t believe it, so she broke eye contact and looked around at the others. “I think we need to go somewhere and talk now,” she said, without much conviction. “It’s the only way this fighting is gonna stop.”

 

“I agree,” Kimberly said quickly.

 

“You would,” Zack muttered. He glared down at the driveway beneath his feet and left it at that.

 

“I’m in,” Billy agreed.

 

Everyone looked at Jason. He had his head leaned back staring at the sky. After a couple of minutes he sighed deeply and brought his head up to look over at Trini and no one else. “I’ll try,” he said.

 

“That’s a start,” Trini nodded. She looked at Zack again. “Zack? Can you try?”

 

Zack stared back at her then shrugged. “Whatever, yeah.”

 

Billy clapped.

 

Kimberly jangled her keys. “Everyone in.”

 

“Where are we going?” Jason asked.

 

They were all quiet for a moment, thinking, until Trini spoke up. “The mines. We’re having a campfire.”

 

“It’s the middle of the afternoon,” Zack argued.

 

“So? It’ll be nighttime eventually,” she said, walking around the car to the passenger seat. “I’m sure we’ll be there all night.”

 

VIII.

 

Kim drove and drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. No one was talking and it was making her a little (more) crazy. “Should we stop at Billy’s and get the sleeping bags?”

 

“Might be a good idea,” Trini said. Kim looked over at her and smiled.

 

“I can’t stay out all night,” Jason spoke up from the back seat, in between Billy and Zack.

 

“Why not? Will you turn into a pumpkin?” Zack asked.

 

“We need snacks, too,” Billy said.

 

“Okay, we’ll stop,” Kim said with a nod. The car continued to be silent. She kept stealing glances over at Trini, but Trini kept her eyes forward. When they got to Billy’s, Kim idled out front.

 

“Zack and I will get everything,” Billy said, already opening his door.

 

“Wait, why do I have to do it? Why not Prince Charming over here?” Zack asked.

 

“Just go,” Trini told him, her tone not to be messed with.

 

“Fine.” He got out and followed Billy inside.

 

Silence again.

 

Kim looked over at Trini again, and this time caught the girl staring at her. Trini’s eyes widened and she looked away. Kim reached out at took her hand, and it felt like Trini started to pull away from it, but then she stopped. Kim smiled.

 

“So what’s going on with you two?” Jason asked.

 

“Nothing,” KIm and Trini answered at the same time, letting go of each other. He laughed.

 

“Right.”

 

“Mind your business,” Trini told him.

 

“It is my business if it messes with the group,” he said.

 

“Five minutes ago you weren’t even apart of the group anymore,” Trini reminded him.

 

“Who says I am now? I meant it, I’m not staying out all night.”

 

“You’re staying with us until we fix this,” Kim told him.

 

“You really think we can repair six months in one night?” He asked.

 

“I think we can try.”

 

“Me too,” Trini agreed. “If nothing else, for Billy.”

 

One more round of silence fell until they saw Billy and Zack coming out the front door with full arms. Trini jumped out to help them, and Kim popped the trunk open. The three got all the supplies in the car and returned to their seats, and Kim drove on.

 

When they got to their spot for the campfire they piled all the sleeping bags together along with the snacks. Kim and Zack worked together silently to get the fire going and the others took their seats around it. When the fire was ablaze Kim dragged her old lawn chair next to Trini and settled in. Zack settled into his seat. They all watched the fire go for awhile, lost in their own thoughts, but then Billy spoke.

 

“I think about that day a lot,” he began. “I think about how scared we were, and how hard we had trained the two days before. I wonder why it wasn’t enough, you know?”

 

“Me too,” Kim said. She stared into the fire and wished it could share her words for her. “I think about how we all had that bad feeling before we morphed, and wonder why we didn’t...try to do more.”

 

“What else could we have done?” Trini asked. “We trained, we were prepared as much as we could be. If anything, we should’ve just not gone.”

 

“But we had to,” Billy said. “We were Rangers.”

 

“We weren’t good enough,” Zack spoke up. His voice sounded like he was somewhere else, and his eyes were focused on the sky. “Zordon basically told us we weren’t ready, that it’d be worse than Rita, but we thought we could handle it.”

 

“Billy’s right,” Kim said. “We had to try.”

 

“You’re all sitting here talking about something that already happened,” Jason said. “What’s the point? We couldn’t do nothing, but what we had wasn’t enough. We were screwed before we ever morphed. It never should have been us in the first place, and I’m glad I gave up my powers.”

 

“Yeah...I am, too,” Trini said. Kim frowned and looked over at her. Trini was staring straight ahead. Kim had heard her say as much already, but she had such a hard time believing it. Trini had loved being a Power Ranger. She had loved everything about it. And to hear her say that so easily, well, it unnerved Kim. Trini finally glanced over and they shared a look. Kim didn’t know if the heat she felt was coming from the fire or Trini, but she swallowed.

 

“I miss it,” came Zack’s voice quietly. “Yeah, we screwed up big time, and...I don’t even think we deserved our powers after everything happened...but I miss it.”

 

“I miss it, too,” Billy said to him.

 

Kim was still staring at Trini. “I miss it like a hole in my heart,” she said softly. She watched Trini’s brows furrow, and she wondered to herself if she meant her powers or Trini. Both, probably. Her gaze must have conveyed as much, because Trini shook her head and looked away. Kim sighed and sat back.

 

“We shouldn’t have given up,” she told them.

 

“Why not?” Jason asked. “We proved that we weren’t fit to be the Power Rangers.”

 

“I don’t think being the Power Rangers means winning every time,” Billy said. “We didn’t win the first time we fought Rita.”

 

“I knew who I was then,” Zack said after a beat of silence. “Becoming a Ranger gave me...purpose. More purpose than just taking care of my mom,” he said the last part a bit sadly, and Kim realized that he still wasn’t over her death. Even though it had been two years. As much as he had aggravated her all day, she still cared about him. He was still her brother.

 

“I feel the same way, Zack,” she said. He looked at her across the flames, and with a serious face he gave her a nod. “I mean, I was pretty messed up before we became Rangers. I went from being so certain about everything, to not knowing anything. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life, but then I found that coin and...the world seemed to open up to me. It took me some time to really get it, to feel like I deserved it, but I did. And then...it was all gone.” Her voice turned wistful and sad, and she felt her hand move and Trini reached out to take it into her own. Kim stared at her feet. “Every day I wish I hadn’t agreed with the rest of you about giving it back.”

 

“Me too,” Billy said sadly. She looked up at met his eyes and they smiled to each other.

“You guys didn’t have to,” Trini finally spoke up. Her voice was scratchy and it chilled Kim. “You could have gone on without us.”

 

“No we couldn’t,” Billy said. “We were a team. We agreed then, we either all go on or we all stop.”

 

“So on top of everything, now I get to feel guilty that we made you two give that up?” Jason asked.

 

“Yo, no one is making you feel guilty about anything,” Trini defended. “You feel what you want, but don’t put that on them.”

 

“If I could turn off feeling guilty, I would,” Jason said, leaning forward in his seat. “But _I_  was the leader, and _I_ have to take responsibility for what happened, for all of us.”

 

“Fuck that,” Zack said. He turned to Jason. “Trini’s right, whatever you feel guilty about is on you. Just like, we all feel guilty and that’s on each one of us. I’m not gonna take on more guilt because they wanted to stay and I didn’t.” He glanced at Billy and Kim in turn. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that we made you guys leave. I really am.” He leaned back in his seat. “But me? I miss it, yeah, but I’m still standing by my choice. When people die, other people gotta take the mantle of saving the day.”

 

“But...did they?” Trini asked, still holding onto Kim’s hand. “Did other people become Power Rangers? Because I haven’t heard about any Ranger sightings since us.”

 

“Well far as I know that crystal hasn’t been dug up,” Zack said. “So someone’s protecting it.”

 

“...that’s the only time I wonder if I made the wrong decision,” Trini said. “When I think about more people getting hurt or the crystal getting into the wrong hands.”

 

Kim squeezed Trini’s hand. “But I don’t think that’s happened,” she assured her.

 

“How long could we have done it anyway?” Jason asked. “Another...four, five years? We would have reached the same place eventually.”

 

“Maybe when we were all ready,” Kim said, glumly. That time Trini squeezed her hand, and it calmed her. She wanted to talk to Trini, just Trini, but knew that had to wait.

 

“I don’t think we’re getting anywhere with this,” Billy said, his tone disappointed.

 

“What are we trying to get at?” Jason asked.

 

“Being friends again,” Kimberly said.

 

“We weren’t friends before we became Rangers,” Jason pointed out.

 

“So we’re just supposed to give it up after?” Kim asked, starting to get annoyed with him. He wasn’t helping or trying, and the rest of them were at least trying.

 

“I kinda have missed this,” Zack said. “We used to even argue sometimes, but...we always figured it out.”

 

“Friends can argue,” Billy reasoned.

 

“I’ve missed you guys, too,” Trini said, almost reluctantly. Kim looked at her and they smiled at one another.

 

“I haven’t,” Jason said. He shifted in his seat.

 

“Then go,” Zack told him. “You don’t have to be here, man.”

 

“I seem to remember four people dragging me out of my house and down here. So yeah, I do have to be here.”

 

“Want us to call you an Uber?” Zack asked, full seriousness.

 

“No, wait, Jason...please stay,” Billy pleaded. He looked at his friend, his eyes full of concern. “You need this more than any of us.”

 

“I do?”

 

“Yes,” they all chorused.

 

He shook his head. “Where am I going to go? No Uber is coming out here.”

 

“Maybe we need to change the subject for awhile,” Kim suggested. “Get back to being friends and talk about our lives.”

 

“How about you go first, _Princess_ ,” Zack said, nodding to the girls’ joined hands.

 

She leveled a glare at him and held Trini’s hand tighter when the other girl tried to pull away. She wasn’t going to let Zack ruin her moment with Trini. “Well,” she began. “I work part time, and I spend most of my free time with Billy. He’s working on new inventions, and I’m learning a lot.”

 

“Yes, but where do you work?” Trini asked, her eyes twinkling.

 

Kim groaned. Billy laughed. “I am Charlie the Chicken for Chicken N’ Things,” she said.

 

Everyone laughed. Hard. Zack was nearly crying.

 

“Thanks,” she said dryly. “Thanks for enjoying my misery.”

 

“Why don’t you just quit?” Trini asked, chuckling.

 

“Because my parents expect me to work, and my father got me that job. He said it builds character to work in the food service industry.”

 

“Or builds your hatred for humans,” Zack offered.

 

“Ahh, you know it?”

 

“When I’m not getting written up for not coming in,” he said. “I work at the bagel place downtown.”

 

“I love that place!” Trini and Kim cried out at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. Kim knew Trini loved it. She couldn’t count how many times the pair had gone there for bagels, or that Kim had stopped on her way to school just to get Trini her favorite bagel.

 

“You two are gross,” Zack said. “Why don’t you just kiss and make up already?” He paused. “Oh wait, I think you have.”

 

“We’ve done no such thing!” Kimberly said, her cheeks going red. She was glad the sun was going down behind her.

 

“Mind your own business, Taylor,” Trini added.

 

“Are you two getting back together?” Jason asked.

 

Both girls frowned. “ _Back_ together?” Kimberly asked.

 

“Yeah, that’s why Trini ditched us, right? You broke up?” Zack asked.

 

“....Zack, we were never together,” Trini said, confused.

 

“Of course you were,” Jason said. “Ever since Trini dumped...what was her name...Lisa?”

 

“Lilah,” Zack corrected.

 

“You’re both wrong,” Trini said. “It was Lucy. And yeah, I dumped her, but...me and Kim never got together.”

 

Kim wasn’t going to bring up the kiss. It wasn’t their business. “What makes you guys think we were?”

 

“You always held hands,” Billy said.

 

“And you had sleepovers nearly every night,” Jason added.

 

“And you called each other ‘Princess’ and ‘babe’,” said Zack.

 

If Kim’s cheeks could feel any hotter she would be inside that fire. “We were best friends,” she tried to defend them.

 

“Yeah...girls do that shit,” Trini supplied.

 

“I’m...not sure they do,” Jason said slowly.

 

“What do you know? You’re a guy,” Kim argued. She let go of Trini’s hand and crossed her arms over her chest. “Wait.” She paused and thought about it then looked at Zack. “You thought...Trini left because we broke up. Is that why you’ve been an ass to me?”

 

“I have not been an ass to you!”

 

“The only time you’ve been nice to me is when you finally came out of your trailer and hugged me,” she pointed out.

 

“...okay, maybe a little...it was that,” he amended.

 

“Unbelievable,” she huffed.

 

“Misunderstanding!” He said.

 

“Boys being dumb more like,” Trini replied. Kim laughed at that.

 

“Well if you two weren’t dating, you definitely wanted to be.”

 

They both stared at Zack. Kim tried to not let it be seen all over her face that it was true. “Whatever,” was all she could come up with.

 

“Totally true,” Jason said to Zack, holding out his hand.

 

“Definitely,” Zack agreed, slapping his hand with Jason’s. And the two laughed together.

 

Billy beamed. “See! We worked something out!”

 

“What? Me hating Kim for pushing Trini out of town? Sure, we got that out of the way,” Zack said.

 

“Hating?” Kim asked.

 

“I never said hating!”

 

“You just said it!”

 

“You can’t prove that!”

 

“Oh my god!” Kim shook her head, but she laughed. There was her Zack Taylor. That crazy boy.

 

“As fun as this is,” Trini said, “I need to find a bush to pee under.” She got up and started to walk away, and Kim saw it was her chance.

 

“Wait, me too!” She jumped up and ran after Trini.

 

“You are so not coming with me for this,” Trini deadpanned.

 

“Oh please, I’ve seen you on the toilet before, what’s the difference?”

  


“Uhh, one is a toilet and the other is a bush.”

 

“I’ll close my eyes.”

 

“You’re...the worst,” Trini said, shaking her head.

 

Kim walked at her side. “But the best.”

 

“If you say so.” Trini disappeared behind a bush and Kimberly turned her back to give her privacy. “I thought you had to pee, too.”

 

“Uhhh...it went away?” Kim frowned and shook her head at herself.

 

“You wanna talk.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What happened to waiting til I was ready?”

 

“You know I’m impatient.”

 

“Yeah, I know.” Trini appeared at her side and Kim turned to her. “I also know that what the guys said didn’t help.”

 

“Well, come on, if they thought we were dating all that time then there must be something here,” Kim said.

 

Trini blinked at the ground for a bit then looked up. “I never said there wasn’t something here.”

 

“So what’s the problem?”

 

“We’re not the people we were. We don’t even live in the same town.”

 

“And who’s fault is that?”

 

“Mine,” Trini admitted. “But have you stopped to think that maybe it’s what I need?”

 

“You don’t need to live anywhere but Angel Grove,” Kim told her.

 

“You say with no vested interest…”

 

“Okay, I say it with full vested interested, but...also because I know _you_ , Trin. And I know that you love those boys as much as I do. I know that, yeah maybe you weren’t happy here after everything, but you’re miserable there without the rest of us. I know that you miss this,” she pointed back towards the campfire.

 

Trini stared at her, processing her words, and she sighed. “I’m just trying to figure out my life post...Ranger.”

 

“And why can’t you figure it out with me?” Kim stared back, eyes ernest and loving. That was the real question, the one that had been plaguing her for months, the one that wouldn’t leave her mind.

 

“Because. The way that I feel about you...it’s…” She stopped and licked her lips, and Kim was holding on to every word. She wanted to know what it was. When Trini didn’t finish, Kim took a step closer.

 

“How about I tell you about my feelings,” she said. She watched Trini nod hesitantly. “I was crazy about you from the beginning. By the time that night rolled around, I knew I was in love with you, and I knew it wasn’t some...fleeting thing. I had dreamt about kissing you so many times, and when I finally did I didn’t even think about it. I didn’t think about what may happen after. I just did it. And it was...the best kiss of my life. Because it was with you.” Kim smiled softly and reached out her hands to take both of Trini’s. Trini didn’t pull away so she took that as a good sign.

 

         “I was heartbroken when days went by and we didn’t talk,” Kim went on. “Even with everything going on, I was holding out for that. And then a month went by, and two, and I realized we weren’t going to talk, and I wanted to be mad and hate you, but I couldn’t. You were still...my hope. When you left, I wanted to cry for days, but instead I thought about ‘when she comes back…’ because I knew we were meant to be something, and I knew you’d come home to me.” She lifted one of Trini’s hands and kissed it. “You know what’s kept me going all this time? What’s made me rise above and keep trying to get us all together?” Trini shook her head slowly. “You,” Kim said simply. She kissed Trini’s other hand. “Knowing that you’d come home to me, eventually.”

 

“But you dragged me back here,” Trini said, shaking her head and looking at her feet.

 

“No I didn’t. You chose to come home with me.”

 

“...I had no choice,” Trini said softly. “It’s you.”

 

“Why, when everything is so messed up, should we not have something to make us happy?”

 

“What if you don’t like who I am now?”

 

“Couldn’t happen.”

 

“What if everything you hyped me up to...isn’t real?”

 

“Shouldn’t I get to learn that on my own?” Kim asked. They were quiet for a moment and Kim heard Trini sniffle. She used the back of her hand, still holding to Trini’s, to tip her head up. She saw tears in Trini’s eyes.

 

“I was...too scared then,” Trini whispered, holding Kim’s gaze. “And I’m scared now. I don’t know how...I don’t know what…”

 

“Are you scared of getting hurt?” Kim asked. Trini nodded. “Well...I am, too.”

 

“You are?”

 

“Of course. But why should we not let ourselves be happy in the meantime?”

 

“You have an answer for everything,” Trini chuckled darkly. She looked over Kim’s shoulder. “I don’t wanna disappoint you.”

 

“You could never disappoint me, baby,” Kim said softly. “Never.”

 

“You can’t honestly want to kiss my teary, snotty face.”

 

“Desperately,” Kim admitted, eyes roaming all over it.

 

“I, uh, I guess...you could.”

 

“Yeah?” Kim grinned.

 

“Yeah,” Trini said with an eye-roll and smile.

 

Kim let go of Trini’s hands and wrapped hers against Trini’s face. She moved closer and stared down at the girl, her heart pounding. “You’re so beautiful. Even teary and snotty.” And when Trini was laughing, Kim leaned down and connected their lips.

 

The kiss was slow and soft at first, lips barely moving, but then Kim started to move hers. It took a couple of beats before Trini moved hers back, and they kept the slow pace. Kim felt Trini’s hands lightly come to her hips. She kissed Trini a little harder, and when Trini made a soft noise, Kim let her tongue explore Trini’s lips. Trini whimpered again and let her tongue meet Kim’s, and Kim groaned. It was something she was sure she could never get used to. Her heart hammered and butterflies had taken flight inside her stomach. Soon the kiss was deep and heated, and everything it had been earlier that day. Kim pulled at Trini’s lower lip with her teeth, and they paused, breathing hard into each other’s mouths. Then they connected again, and it was slow and deep. Kim’s hands moved through Trini’s hair, and Trini’s gripped tightly to Kim’s hips. Kim backed Trini up to a tree and continued to kiss her. After a bit they broke apart. Kim braced a hand to the tree over Trini’s head, and they stared at each other in lust and in love.

 

A smile worked its way onto Trini’s lips and it made Kim grin. With her free hand she traced the lines and slopes of Trini’s face and neck. Trini’s hands were a bit higher on her waist, under her shirt.

 

“They’re probably wonderin’ where we’re at,” Trini said eventually.

 

“Let them wonder,” Kim replied. She pressed a kiss to Trini’s forehead and heard Trini sigh. “So,” she said, pulling back to look into Trini’s eyes again. “Will you give this a chance?”

 

“I dunno. Are you gonna get all sappy on me all the time now?” Trini faked an eye-roll, but her lips were smiling.

 

“Mmm,” Kim hummed. “Maybe. But never in front of the guys. I’ll let you keep your badass persona.”

 

“In that case...I think I can do it,” Trini said, her voice going serious. “But if things start to go down...I can’t lose our friendship, Kim.”

 

“We’ll stop before that happens,” Kim promised.

 

“And I’m not moving back for a girl.”

 

“I’m not just any girl.”

 

“Kim.”

 

“Okay, okay...we’ll make it work.”

 

“And...you should definitely kiss me again.”

 

Kim beamed. “My girl gets what she wants.”

 

IX.

 

When Trini and Kim finally emerged from the woods they were holding hands. Trini eyed the boys and let go. She didn’t want to, but they needed to find a way to tell them. And part of her, just as she had in the past, feared it would drive a wedge between the team.

 

What team? She thought.

 

They found their seats.

 

“That was a long piss break,” Zack said, looking at them.

 

“Did you get lost?” Billy asked, his words honest and not sarcastic.

 

“Probably got distracted,” Jason said with a smirk.

 

Damn.

 

Trini stretched her legs out and stared at them all with a hard glare. “Girls take forever in the bathroom, you know this.”

 

“But..it’s not a bathroom,” Billy said. “It’s the woods.”

 

“You heard her,” Kim spoke up. Trini’s heart picked up its beat and she refrained from looking at...her girlfriend. Wow. Kimberly Ann Hart was her girlfriend. At last.

 

Trini started to reach for Kim’s hand, but stopped. She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair instead. “So what’ve you losers been doing?”

 

“Talking!” Billy said excitedly.

 

“Yeah...kinda got some stuff out,” Zack said with a nod.

 

“That’s good,” Kim said. “How’s everyone feeling?”

 

“Tired,” Jason said honestly. “But...okay. I understand now that I don’t have to take all the blame for what happened.”

 

“And I understand that hiding away because I’m scared I’m gonna lose everyone is counterproductive,” Zack said quietly.

 

“Big word, homeboy,” Trini snarked. He smirked at her.

 

“Oh! And I learned that everyone giving up on us being Rangers doesn’t mean they’re giving up on me,” Billy said with a beam.

 

Trini smiled slowly, crooked and in the corner of her mouth. “Well. I learned that it’s okay to let yourself have things you want, even if you feel you don’t deserve anything good anymore.”

 

“And I learned that Trini is an awesome kisser,” Kim stated.

 

Trini stared at her. “Really, Kim?”

 

The boys were hollering and clapping.

 

“What?” Kim asked.

 

“What happened to finding a good way to tell them?”

 

“I did, didn’t I?”

 

Trini shook her head. She really had the most ridiculous girlfriend. But she was her girlfriend. “So yeah, that happened then.”

 

“Took long enough!” Zack shouted.

 

“Yeah yeah, just this morning you were against it,” Trini reminded him.

 

“That’s when I thought Kim was using the feelings you still had after breaking up to get you out here.”

 

“I would never do that!”

 

“Are you sure?” Zack asked, disbelief in his eyes.

“Give me _some_ credit,” Kim admonished. “If I had really wanted to use tactics to get her here I would’ve pretended her brothers were in some imminent danger.”

 

“Whoaaa,” Trini said, whipping to her girlfriend. “One, gonna give you props for using the word imminent, two, that would be grounds for instant break up.”

 

“But we weren’t dating then!”

 

“Doesn’t matter.” Trini shook her head. “I can’t believe your mind even went there.”

 

“I’m sorry, baby. Forgive me?” Kim looked at Trini with her bottom lip stuck out and Trini laughed.

 

“Yeah, just don’t ever do it.”

 

“You two are gross,” Jason said.

 

“I think I love it,” Zack said.

 

“Are we all back together?” Billy asked.

 

They looked around at one another, each connecting a gaze with the other, and Jason finally nodded.

 

“I think we all still have a lot to work out,” he said. “I mean...a lot...but now, we can do it together.”

 

“That was sappy, bro,” Zack said, leaning over to clap Jason on the back. “Welcome back, boss!”

 

They all cheered loudly, the campfire illuminating their faces in the darkness, then they broke into laughter.

 

Kim moved her chair right beside Trini’s and took her hand. “Hi girlfriend.”

 

Trini rolled her eyes. “Cheese Ball.”

 

“Say it back!”

 

“Ugh. Hi, girlfriend.”

 

Kim grinned and leaned over to kiss Trini’s cheek loudly. “I expect to hear that at least once a day.”

 

“Oh yeah? What else do you expect?”

 

Kim leaned into her ear to whisper. “Hot car sex when they fall asleep.”

 

Trini smirked and took Kim’s hand in her own. “You’re on, Princess.”

 

“TRINI AND KIMBERLY SITTIN’ IN A TREE-,” Zack started to sing.

 

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Billy and Jason sang along with him.

 

X.

 

Two months after the first time she did it, Kim knocked on Trini’s door. She felt lighter than she had that first time, and she felt happier. She knew a large part of that was because of Trini, but it was also because she had their boys back, and they were all trying to feel better.

 

The door swung open and a sweaty Trini looked up at her. “About time you showed. I just got the last of it packed up. Did you bring Jase’s truck?”

 

“Oh, I missed the packing?” She didn’t really want to pack anyway. “Yes, I got it. The boys wanted to come and help, but we wouldn’t have all fit.”

 

“That’s okay. They can help us unload at the new apartment,” Trini said. She grabbed Kim and pulled her inside and kissed her hotly on the lips. It had only been a week since they’d seen each other, but for Trini and Kimberly it was a lifetime. Kim sighed happily into the kiss and pushed the door shut behind her blindly. Trini pressed her up against it.

 

“Shouldn’t...get too...distracted,” Kim said between kisses.

 

“What? Kimberly Ann Hart turning down hot door sex?” Trini smirked into her neck.

 

Kim wrapped her arms around Trini and hugged her tightly. “I’m too excited about moving you back home.”

 

“Ahh, yeah, I’m pretty psyched about that, too.”

 

“And into a more sanitary apartment.” Kim made a face at the apartment around her, which only looked worse without Trini’s things around it. She gave Trini another quick kiss. “Come on, let’s load up.”

 

Two hours later they were on the road back to Angel Grove. Kim drove with one hand on the wheel and the other interlocked with Trini’s. She couldn’t stop smiling to save her life.

 

“Did I tell you Jason found a new therapist?” Kim asked.

 

“No. That’s good, though. I know he wasn’t feelin’ the last one.”

 

“Mhmm. And Zack’s thinking about going now, too. He’s seen what a difference it’s made for Jase so far, and he said he thinks he could benefit. I think we all could, honestly.” She looked over at Trini who was looking out the window, then she looked forward again. “What do you think?”

 

“This your way of asking me to go to therapy?” Trini asked.

 

“No. It’s my way of saying...I think I want to go, too. And if you wanted to, I’d support you.”

 

“Honestly, ever since Jason started...I have thought about it.”

 

“But?” Kim asked.

 

“But it’s scary?”

 

“Yeah...but I really don’t think we can keep relying on each other to work it all out.”

 

“And what do we tell these people? We can’t say we’re Power Rangers. They’ll think we’re certifiable.”

 

“There’s ways of talking around it,” Kim insisted. Just then there was a big bump and the truck veered to the right. Both girls shrieked. “Oh god, I think that was a tire!” Kim maneuvered the truck to the side of the road and got out. She walked around to the other side and sure enough one of the tires was completely flat. “Oh great,” she sighed.

 

Trini got out and came to her side. “Should be a spare in the bed,” she said. She walked around and pulled the tailgate open and looked in. “I’mma kill Jason.”

 

“No spare?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Well, luckily my parents have roadside assistance for me. I’ll just call it in.” She did just that, and they told her it’d be a half hour or so. She let out a breath and looked over at her girlfriend. “Wanna walk around a bit?”

 

“To where?” Trini held out a hand at the expanse of empty land around them.

 

“Oh, come on.” Kimberly grabbed her hand and pulled her further across the land on the side of the road. The grass was sparse and it was mostly sand and rocks. They walked several feet in and were wandering around when something shimmering caught their eyes at the same time.

 

“Probably trash,” Trini said as they walked towards it.

 

“Probably,” Kim agreed.

 

They stopped and bent down. Kim brushed the sand away that was covering up whatever it was, and they both pulled back with gasps. Immediately both of their phones blew up with texts and they took them out. It was their group chat.

 

**Jason:** guys you won’t believe what me and billy just found

**Zack:** you???? No you won’t believe what i found!!!!!

 

Kim and Trini looked at each other before bending down and picking up a pink and yellow coin, respectively. They looked at each other again in disbelief. Then Kim turned back to her phone and wrote out a quick message, and as soon as she hit send two came in at the same exact second.

 

**Kim:** Trini and I just found our coins.

**Jason:** billy and I found our coins!

**Zack:** i found my motherfipping coin!

 

Kim looked back up to Trini and nodded, and Trini gasped.

 

“How...what…” Trini couldn’t complete a sentence.

 

Kim looked down at the coin in her hand and studied it. It was a bit different than her first had been, but it still shone pink. She smiled softly and turned it over in her hand, admiring it.

 

“This is your time. This is your team,” she whispered.

 

* * *

 

_"  'cause even when there is no star in sight_   
_you'll always be my only guiding light"_

**Author's Note:**

> comments are glorious


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